


Everybody Knows My Face But You

by Lorraine_B_Writing



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Author Has Decided to Spice Things Up with Extreme Angst, Baby Fic, Character Death, Fluffy, Gabriel Needs to Get Himself Together, Happy or Sad Ending? We Shall See, Hawkbaby, Multi, Not Even the Betas Know, Pregnancy, Smutty in Parts, Unknown Identity AU, Unplanned Pregnancy, You'll Probably Hate Me For This, gabenath, hawknath, nathalie doesn't know hawkmoth's identity, near-death, post-Mayura, you will cry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-01
Updated: 2020-06-15
Packaged: 2021-03-01 18:01:01
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 19,588
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23941225
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lorraine_B_Writing/pseuds/Lorraine_B_Writing
Summary: ~Credits go to My Mayura and the lovely people in the Gabenath Book Club Discord Server for helping me with the title :3~Nathalie doesn't know Hawkmoth's identity and pursues a relationship with the supervillain despite not knowing him. However, she finds out that she's expecting his child-- a man she's apparently "not likely to be attracted to". But the child knows their father outside of the costume, and many people may know:Children are terrible at keeping secrets.
Relationships: Gabriel Agreste | Papillon | Hawk Moth & Nathalie Sancoeur, Gabriel Agreste | Papillon | Hawk Moth/Nathalie Sancoeur, Penny Rolling & Jagged Stone, Penny Rolling/Jagged Stone
Comments: 58
Kudos: 79





	1. Don't Share This With My Mother, She'll Kick Me Out

**Author's Note:**

> This starts out with sex. Just uh... Just a heads-up. Surprise...?

“Fuck,  _ Papillon! _ ”

Hawkmoth’s hand gripped her thigh as he drove himself deeper into her, moaning into her neck. He nipped at the flesh, bringing his other hand to her breast.

“Hawkmoth… I…”

“ _ Cum for me, my dear Mayura _ .”

With a scream of pleasure, Nathalie did just that, gripping at her partner’s hair. She panted, fingers going for the blindfold she wore.

“Wait a moment, my love, I thought we established the rule about that…”

Nathalie sighed. “It’s so dark, my butterfly… surely I won’t be able to recognize you in here…”

Hawkmoth kissed her forehead, leaning up afterward. “I cannot take that chance… I’m sorry.”

“Very well…” She reached forward, trying to find him. “Let’s get cleaned up, then, and afterward…”

“I’ll stay with you, this time if you’d like me to…”

“Please.”

Gabriel smiled, taking her hands and helping her out of bed. “This way, my darling…” He led her to her shower, pulling the door open and letting her step in.

“...Are you not joining me this time?”

A breathy laugh. “Not this time. I’ll go after you… save me some hot water, please.”

“No promises.”

Nathalie finished showering about ten minutes later, taking off her blindfold. She stepped out, noticing that Hawkmoth had wrapped a towel around his head.

“You did want to see me, yes?”

The woman nodded, running her hand over his chest. “You have beautiful ink… what flowers are these?”

“Asters.”

Nathalie kissed the furthest one up, which rested near his collarbone. She made her way past him, going into the bedroom. “Come out transformed,” she whispered.

Gabriel nodded, getting into the shower after closing and locking the door. Once he was finished, he rejoined her as Hawkmoth.

“Did you still want me to stay?”

Nathalie nodded, reaching for a different blindfold. “Will you help me?”

“Of course.” Hawkmoth, despite the gloves, tied a solid knot, gently tugging at it. “Can you see how many fingers I’m holding up?”

“...Three?”

“Eight.  _ Dark wings, fall _ .”

Gabriel settled into bed beside her, resting his head just above hers on the pillow. “Do you enjoy our time together?” he whispered, running his hand through her hair.

“ _ Oui _ . Do you?”

“Yes.” Gabriel kissed her forehead. “You are unique, Nathalie. I’ve never felt the way I do when I’m with you.”

“...You barely know me.”

“Perhaps that can change… but we also have to remember who I am. We couldn’t exactly hang out on the daily.”

Nathalie nuzzled into his chest. “You’re right… perhaps someday I’ll know who you are, and it won’t matter.”

Gabriel swallowed. “Maybe… maybe not…”

“Let’s leave it where it is. All I want right now is to be in your arms.”

“As do I, love.”

Nathalie pulled the covers over herself, Gabriel pulling them a bit further once she was comfortably flush to him.

“... _ Papillon _ ?”

Hearing his pet name, Gabriel perked up. “Yes?”

“You smell good… what kind of cologne is that? I recognize it…”

Gabriel flinched. “Uh… just something I picked up… I don’t recall the name…”

“My friend from  _ universitie  _ used to wear something like it. It was always pleasant to sit near him.”

“Is he someone I need to be jealous about?”

Nathalie laughed. “Not at all. He’s married and has a son.”

“...Oh?”

“He’s also my  _ boss _ . Trust me, love, don’t worry about it.”

Gabriel, relieved, smiled, settling back into her embrace.

“Nathalie?”

“Mm… five more minutes.”

Gabriel eased her off of him, smiling. “My love, please, I need to go.”

Nathalie felt a soft whine rise in her throat as she stretched, trying to reorient herself with her surroundings. “Must you go,  _ Papillon _ ? We could stay in bed all day…”

“Ah, I don’t think your boss would care much for that… I have places to be as well, my darling…”

“Fine.”

Hawkmoth transformed as he gently removed the blindfold from her eyes. “I shall see you soon, yes?”

Nathalie covered herself with her blanket, leaning up. “Of course.”

A kiss goodbye and Hawkmoth was gone, returning to the mansion to get ready for the day. Nathalie fell back asleep.

Hours passed and it was now seven o’clock, forty minutes until she had to report at work. Nathalie sighed, easing herself out of bed.

Ten minutes later, Nathalie grabbed her jacket and put it on. She then grabbed her purse, messenger bag, umbrella, and refillable coffee cup, dashing out the door to her Uber waiting for her.

“This address, please, thank you.”

The driver nodded, bringing her there without any hiccups. She arrived three minutes early, settling into her desk and taking the time to unpack her things.

Gabriel entered the office ten minutes later. “Good morning, Nathalie.”

Nathalie nodded. “Good morning, Mr. Agreste.”

“Did you sleep well?”

“I…” Nathalie frowned, thrown off by the question. “I did, sir, thank you.”

“That’s good. Sleep is important.”

Turning his back, Gabriel smiled, making his way to his podium. “I’ve already taken the liberty of assessing my schedule for the day, no need to reiterate it to me. Adrien is getting ready for school and will be leaving in a few minutes. You have the rest of the day to catch up on anything, and I will permit you to leave early assuming everything is completed.”

Nathalie smiled. “Thank you, sir.”

A ding from her computer pulled her attention away, Nathalie’s delicate fingers dancing over her keyboard as she typed a reply to an email. Gabriel discreetly studied her fingers, intrigued. He opened a new document in his drawing software, sketching Nathalie’s profile as she worked.

“Mr. Agreste.”

“Mm?” Gabriel minimized the program.

“Audrey Bourgeois has requested to meet with you next week Thursday at four.”

“Are there any conflicts?”

Nathalie shook her head. “None, sir.”

“Make some.”

Smirking, Nathalie pressed enter, deleting the notification. She filled in the time, turning back to Gabriel. “You’ll be spending time with Adrien during that time, sir.”

“Surely she’ll try to get me out of it…?”

Nathalie shook her head. “I’ll tell her that Adrien is required to meet with you and several others to discuss a new line. If she so happens to come to the mansion during that time, I’ll simply tell her the others canceled last-minute. Worst-case scenario, I will have to have G force her off the premises.”

Gabriel’s frown morphed into a smile, his eyebrow arching with amusement. “That  _ would _ be a sight to see. Very well.”

The gentle clicking of Nathalie’s keyboard returned to the general atmosphere of the atelier as Gabriel picked up his stylus.

_ Her bun… I wonder how long it takes to perfect that style… There’s not a stray hair in sight. _

Nathalie pursed her lips as she paused, tapping her fingers on the sleeve covering the opposite arm.

_ Right there. Hold that position. _

Fingers tugged at her red collar as Nathalie read an email, her brow slightly furrowed. She softly sighed, typing a quick response.

_ How are you so beautiful, in the most mundane scenarios? _

Gabriel felt his face flush as he stepped back from his work. Sketch Nathalie was looking right at him, her fingers flirtatiously tugging at her collar as she bit her lip.

Shutting down the program, Gabriel gave Nathalie a rushed excuse as he exited the office, sweating.

* * *

Once Nathalie’s work was completed, she packed her bags again, heading out the door. She sent a quick message to Penny as she left.

_ NS: Hey, Pen! You around to get coffee? _

A few minutes later, Nathalie heard a  _ ding! _

_ PR: Sure! Meet you at the usual in five, xoxo _

Quickening her pace, Nathalie speed-walked to the coffee shop she and Ms. Rolling had grown fond of, with its calm atmosphere. Another ding threw her off-balance, her heels stopping short before the door.

_ HM: Are you around for dinner tomorrow? _

_ NS: I should be, unless my boss keeps me late. _

_ HM: He won’t. If he tries to, I’ll take care of him ;) _

_ NS: *laughing emoji* thanks dear <3 _

Penny was sitting in a corner booth, surrounded by succulents. She grinned, waving Nathalie over.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you get off this early in  _ years _ ! Gabriel’s finally letting you have friends?”

Nathalie rolled her eyes. “He’s been rather nice to me lately. I’m somewhat worried I might be getting fired soon…”

“Fired? You? He’s really kicked the mental bucket if he’s going to fire  _ you _ . You’re the load-bearing beam of his entire company!” Penny waved her hand dismissively. “No, no, he’s definitely not firing you, don’t worry about it, Nat.”

A waiter with a lesbian-colored flag stuck in her hair walked up to their table, smiling. “Ms. Rolling, Ms. Sancoeur, it’s good to see you guys again! What can I get started for you?”

Nathalie smiled. “Risa. Good to see you again.”

Penny nodded. “It’s been months! What’s new with you?”

“Eh, not much, to be honest… I’ve been making small adjustments to the shop, and we’ve expanded our menu to include more than pastries. We have sandwiches, daily soups, basic pasta dishes…” Risa smiled. “We also brought back our hazelnut creamer.”

Nathalie’s eyes sparkled. “Well, I know what I’m getting now.”

“Agreed. Two hazelnut cappuccinos, please, one hot, one iced.”

Risa nodded, taking their order down on a notepad. “Any food for you ladies at all?”

“Mm, maybe a scone? I know you usually run out this time of day, so whatever you have left is great.” 

Penny shook her head. “I’m fine, thank you.”

“Alrighty, I’ll get those started for you.”

Nathalie took a deep breath, taking in the coffee shop. Various plants were suspended with woven rope from the ceiling, a small glass-encased koi pond to one side drawing her attention. The few water lilies floating on the surface were beginning to bloom, as water lilies do in early July. An orange and white koi, much bigger than the others, lazily drifted by, poking its head at the surface every few moments.

_ Oh, to be a koi fish in a tank. The ultimate life. No mystery, no surprise. Everything is anticipated and expected, like feeding time. _

“Girl, are you okay?”

Nathalie snapped away from her thoughts, noticing that the coffee had arrived at their table. “Oh… yes, I was… just thinking.”

“Mm. About what?”

“Have you…” Nathalie trailed off.  _ Have you ever had a secret relationship with a supervillain who terrorizes your home with regularity? _

“Have you ever had a relationship with someone that you didn’t really… know?”

Penny frowned. “You mean, like a one-night stand, or…?”

“No, no… an actual, formed relationship… and you’re basically strangers?”

“Um. Can’t say that I have. Why, are you involved in something scary? Do I need to call someone?”

Nathalie shook her head. “No, no, nothing like that, I just… I’m having trouble connecting with… with someone…”

“SPILL.”

“Penny!”

“What?” Penny pointed her phone accusingly at Nathalie’s chest. “You’re in a relationship! Tell me,” she leaned close, “is it with  _ him _ ?”

“Far from it. I’ve given up on Gabriel, entirely. He wants nothing to do with me.”

Penny sat back with a huff. “Pity. It would have been cute for both of us to have boss/assistant dynamics. We could be a reality show cast.”

Nathalie chuckled. “It would get canceled after the first episode… besides, you know me… I’m not one to be in front of the camera like you and Jagged are… I’m fine standing on the sidelines.”

“For now. Just… just don’t get into any deep shit, okay? Please keep talking to me.”

“I promise.”


	2. Pissed Off and Horny AF

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I stretched my limits a bit more with this chapter, though it is shorter. I'm satisfied with it.

“I hope you know what you’re doing.”

Mayura huffed, whipping around to face her partner, who was watching her as he leaned on a chimney stack. “I’ve been at this for the better part of the year,  _ insect _ .”

“Mm… you’re quite snippy today… something happen at work?”

The blue woman snorted. “You have no idea…”

It was the worst day Nathalie had ever had working at the Agreste mansion. Audrey walked in unannounced, the same day that taxes were scheduled for filing, and a line was supposed to be going out in three days. Nathalie was up to her nose in paperwork, and she had barely slept the night before from stressing over the line. The pieces were lovely, perfect even, but they were so  _ typical _ . It’s as if Gabriel had simply copied and pasted the designs and left them as-is. 

Audrey was doing her usual bitching, wanting Gabriel’s opinions on trends and asking for commissions so dramatic and complex that they’d likely take a month of his time to create a rough pin-up. 

“What are you staring at?” Audrey sneered, looking at Nathalie, whose bun began to unravel. “Honestly, Gabriel, can’t you find someone  _ else _ to do a secretary’s job? If she’s going to be appearing in front of  _ everyone _ , she’ll embarrass the company!”

“Nathalie has been appearing for me for years. She has not once brought embarrassment to my name. She stays.”

“Ugh… at least make her wear more fashionable clothes. She looks sad and depressed, like a wilted rosebush.”

Nathalie’s eyebrow twitched as she fought the urge to leap over the desk and strangle the blonde bimbo in front of her.

“Audrey, please, Nathalie’s fine.”

Audrey didn’t seem convinced. “Whatever. Secretary,” she mused, “you’ll be sure to schedule several appointments for fittings, yes?”

“Of course, Madame Bourgeois,” Nathalie spat, crinkling the paper beneath her hands.

“Good. Do it now.”

“...Excuse me?”

Audrey tutted. “Are you deaf  _ and _ blind? Do. It.  _ Now _ . I want to watch you put the scheduling together, right this instant.

Gabriel frowned. “Audrey, really, this isn’t—”

“Stay  _ out _ of it, Gabriel.” Audrey pointed to the computer. “Do it.”

Nathalie gritted her teeth. “Right away,  _ madame _ .” She begrudgingly filled out the schedule for the next month, hitting the enter key rather aggressively.

“Well, she has quite the attitude problem, but at  _ least _ she follows orders.” Audrey blew a kiss to Gabriel. “I’ll see you in a couple of weeks for my fitting.”

Gabriel nodded, turning cautiously back to his assistant once Audrey was gone. “Um… Do you need a break?”

Nathalie took her glasses off, ripping at her now ruined bun, letting her hair fall down her back. She shrugged her suit jacket off, storming out of the office.

Gabriel’s brow furrowed in sympathy, the man returning to his podium to finish some sketches.

* * *

“Wow. That is something.”

Mayura, having finished her story, stopped punching the brick wall in front of her, turning to Hawkmoth again. “Mm. I should’ve quit a long time ago.”

“Why didn’t you?”

“The pay is good, and I get to travel quite a bit, I suppose… I can’t get many other jobs with my degrees…”

Hawkmoth nodded. “Your degrees are…?”

“Well, I have an associate’s degree in accounting and finance, a bachelor’s in French and Chinese, I minored in English for a while but opted out, and I took basic military training for a few years.”

“...Damn.” 

Mayura shrugged. “It hasn’t gotten me very far in life, I’m afraid…”

Gloved hands grabbed her wrists, twirling her around. “It’s led you to me, hasn’t it?”

“Well… I…” Mayura’s face grew crimson as she tried to free her hands. “Sure it has. But villainy doesn’t pay well.”

“Perhaps not.”

Hawkmoth sat down, offering for her to join him. “Would you like to get dinner with me tonight?”

“... How would that work? We can’t just waltz into a restaurant like this.”

“No, but your civilian self or mine could order takeout, or I can cook for you.”

Mayura laughed. “Oh, goody… I’ve always wanted to try honeysuckle or phlox.”

Hawkmoth rolled his eyes. “I would make you something that you like.”

“Oh… I… I guess I’d have to think about it.” Mayura smiled at him, taking his hand. “No one’s ever offered to make me dinner before.”

“Never?”

“Nope. I’ve either done the cooking or I’d be out to a restaurant.”

“Ah. Well, don’t worry about that anymore. I’d be happy to make your food.”

Mayura leaned on his shoulder. “Does that mean… does that mean you want to be serious about this, the two of us?”

“Was it not already?” Hawkmoth leaned his head on hers. “I thought that’s what we wanted.”

“It is.” Mayura sat up. “But I want to know who you are.”

Hawkmoth’s face fell. “I was afraid of that.”

“Why can’t you tell me? You know I’d keep your identity a secret. I’m your  _ partner _ .”

“Because…” Hawkmoth’s gaze fell to their intertwined hands, gently squeezing hers after a moment. “I just can’t. Please don’t ask me again. I promise, I’ll tell you eventually. But I’m just not ready yet.”

Mayura nodded. “Very well. I won’t.” She gently kissed the edge of his mouth, the only exposed flesh he had, settling back onto his shoulder.

“Thank you, my love.”

“Of course.”

The wind made Mayura’s hair bounce, the woman brushing it out of her face. She looked up at the sky, gazing at the clouds that lazily drifted above them. She could almost make out a face, or was it a duck? An airplane? The cloud in question moved behind her head after a while, Mayura directing her attention to passerby below, the clicks of bicycle gears and the whirring of rollerblades making her head spin. An occasional honk of a car, a shout of joy or of anger. A faraway siren fading the further the ambulance traveled. Hawkmoth had fallen asleep against the chimney, his snores breathy and soft. Mayura smiled, taking in the sight of her sleeping love. His eyelashes were rather long, and somewhat light compared to her own.  _ He likely has lighter hair _ , she thought to herself. From what she could remember of their late-night activities, it was very soft, too.

“Mm…” Hawkmoth started to murmur in his sleep, something along the lines of “muslin” and “Nathalie”.

Mayura held back a laugh, choosing instead to brush the side of his face with her hand ever so gently.

The sky was beginning to turn pink, the sun setting on another Parisian day. A gentle nudge, followed by a less gentle nudge and finally a gentle slap to the face woke Hawkmoth, who snorted with surprise and leaned up quickly. “Wha…”

“Good morning, sunshine.”

The man smiled, taking Mayura into his arms and kissing her jaw. “What a sight to wake up to…” He continued to kiss down her jaw, tiny moans bubbling from Mayura’s lips in response.

“ _ Papillon _ …”

“What do you say, my queen?” Hawkmoth stood up, offering his hand to Mayura. “Shall we take this somewhere more… comfortable?”

Face flushed, Mayura nodded eagerly, allowing him to scoop her up in his arms. They vaulted across several rooftops, ducking into an alleyway to allow Nathalie to detransform before they entered her apartment.

“Blindfold on, my dear.”

Nathalie nodded, tying the piece of satin around her eyes before beginning to shed her clothing. Gabriel de-transformed, doing the same.

They both stood in their undergarments, Nathalie blindly reaching for him. He playfully slapped her ass before taking her hands and bringing her to him. They locked lips, her teeth grazing his bottom lips as she took a handful of his hair.

Gabriel eased her towards the bed, lifting her up just slightly to guide her into a sitting position, leaning over and continuing to explore her mouth. “Mm… Nathalie…”

Nathalie pulled away, flushed. “Bend me over,  _ Papillon _ .”

“With pleasure, my peahen…” He stepped back to let her position herself, tucking her pillows underneath her head. Gabriel crawled behind her, taking her ass in his hands and squeezing. “Oh,  _ my… _ ”

Nathalie shuddered, a soft whine escaping from her throat. “Please,  _ Papillon _ , fill me…”

A finger slid into her pussy, Gabriel smiling as he felt her walls convulse. “Someone’s excited…” He slowly added a second finger, gently stretching her out.

“Ah…” Nathalie gripped the bedsheets beneath her, biting her lip.

“Are you ready,  _ Nathalie _ ?” Gabriel purred. He took her ass in his hand again, grinning.

Nathalie squirmed, her whine steadily growing in volume. She gasped, moaning her love’s pet name repeatedly.

Gabriel slid into her, exhaling with pleasure. He sat there a moment, allowing her to readjust, before shifting back and plunging in with more force, harder, deeper, over and over again, his moans blending with hers.

Nathalie felt her climax approaching, her moans growing louder with each thrust. Gabriel could feel it too, his fingers digging into her as their skin slapped together.

“ _ Papillon—” _

_ “Nathalie—” _

With a yelp of ecstasy, Nathalie finished over him, her walls fluttering as she gasped for air. 

Gabriel finished a moment later, filling her with his seed. His eyes widened. “Nathalie…”

“Yes?”

“We…” He cussed. “ _ I _ forgot…”

Nathalie panted, sitting up once Gabriel pulled out of her. “Forgot what, love?”

“A condom…”

“Oh, that? Papillon, I’m not worried…” Nathalie smiled sweetly. “I’m infertile, remember?”

“Infertile doesn’t mean  _ sterile _ . There’s also—”

“Hawkmoth. My love. Please don’t worry about it. Now,” she held out her arms, “help me to the bath?”

“...Am I joining you this time?” Nathalie nodded, reaching to caress his face. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Gabriel smiled, gently kissing her before helping her up, walking to the bath. Nathalie adjusted the taps as he dug for her soap. “Would you like lavender or honey, my darling?”

“Mm… honey.”

Honey soap, as well as honey-scented effervescence, were placed in or near the tub, filling the room with a sweet scent. Nathalie stepped in, sighing contently. 

“Is it to your liking, my love?”

“Mm-hmm.” Nathalie leaned forward, inviting him to slide in behind her. Thankfully, the freestanding tub was rather large. Gabriel tucked himself in with her, kissing her shoulder once they were settled.

Her nipples were still rather erect, Gabriel gently taking one in between his index finger and thumb. Nathalie gasped softly, her hand meeting his.

“You’re very sensitive, peahen…” Gabriel kissed her neck, gently nipping as he traveled up to her ear. He kissed her lobe, settling his head on her shoulder.

“May I remove the blindfold?”

Gabriel nodded— the mirror was not facing them. “Yes, you may.”

Nathalie slipped the blindfold over her head, looking down at his hands. “You have such big hands, Papillon…”

“Oui?”

Nathalie bit her lip, her fingers tracing over his. “Oui.”

Brushing a lock of hair behind her ear, he whispered, “Long fingers, too?”

“Yes…” Nathalie whimpered, squirming.

Gabriel pulled her close, grasping her breasts. His thumbs brushed against the sensitive buds, causing Nathalie to shudder. “Would you like them inside of you?”

“ _ Yes _ , oh yes, Papillon!”

“Very well,” Gabriel smirked. “Sit up, my love.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things are going slowly... for now.


	3. Gabriel Plays Dress Up and Duusu Wants a Baby to Play With

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More fluffy shenanigans. We'll get to the angst soon, my pretties, don't you worry.

“Good evening.”

Nathalie sighed, turning her head to look at her lover, who had just appeared in her living room. Her door was ajar, the dim hallway lighting peering into the apartment.

“At least close the door if you’re going to be breaking-and-entering.”

Hawkmoth chuckled, going to close the door before half-sitting on the arm of her purple couch.

“Did you miss me at all, my peahen?”

Nathalie sighed. “Perhaps a little. But you really shouldn’t be sneaking around here all the time. One of my neighbors will see you.”

“Are you worried they’ll try to steal me away?” Hawkmoth flexed, winking at her.

“I’m sure Ethel and Margot would be  _ thrilled _ . Did I mention they’re twice your age?”   
Hawkmoth deflated. “Fine. Perhaps you’re the only one attracted to me, in the whole entire universe…”

Nathalie watched him sulk, continuing to stir the pasta she had heating on her stove. She sifted through the soft noodles, plucking one off the spoon and tossing it in his direction. It hooked over his nose, startling him.

“What— Nathalie!” He scrunched his nose, peeling the limp spaghetti off of him. 

A giggle escaped Nathalie’s lips, her hand flying to her mouth once it had happened. She flushed, turning away from him.

“Did you just…” Hawkmoth grinned wickedly, moving to her side and holding her close. “You  _ giggled _ !”

Nathalie waved her hands. “I most certainly did  _ not—” _

“Mm… I wonder if you’re ticklish too, hmm?” Hawkmoth wiggled his fingers in a taunt, Nathalie’s eyes widening.

“Don’t you  _ dare _ !”

Hawkmoth dug his fingers in her sides, the woman shrieking with laughter. “H--Hawkmoth! P-P… ha ha! — Please stop!”

The tickling slowed, the man gently kissing her temple. “I got my answer,” he purred.

“Hmm. Just as I was going to invite you to stay the night… I suppose you’ll have to find another couch to crash on.”

Hawkmoth sighed. “It’s just as well. I told my son I’d watch a movie with him once I got home.”

Nathalie turned around, surprised. “You have a son?”

“Oui, he’s almost fifteen. His mother… passed away, if you’re worried…”

“Of course not.” Nathalie smiled. “I’d like to meet him someday, though.”

“Once you know me, you’ll know my son as well, my love. I promise.”

The spaghetti began to reach the overflow point, Nathalie hurriedly turning the heat down. “I think things are ready now.”

Hawkmoth grinned, grabbing a plate. “May I?” He served her first, giving her extra meatballs before he served himself.

A delicate eyebrow raised, Nathalie smirking. “Are you trying to tell me something?”

A laugh. “Not this time, my darling. I’m afraid I have time constraints.”

“Right, of course. Next time, then,” Nathalie winked, raising her wine glass. “Toast?”

“To the most beautiful, cunning, intelligent, skilled, and strongest woman in the universe…” Hawkmoth blushed. “May she still be able to stand me for years to come.”

Nathalie’s cheeks turned pink as she fiddled with her stem. “To my mysterious lover, the biggest dork, the sexiest man in Paris. May you still find me appealing even after I peak.”

Hawkmoth raised an eyebrow. “That won’t happen for a number of years yet, my darling. Besides, you’ll look beautiful in wrinkles.”

Nathalie set her glass and plate down on the counter, taking Hawkmoth’s after and setting them aside. “Come here, you,” she whispered, pulling him down into a kiss.

* * *

“How was your date, papa?”

Gabriel smiled. “It was wonderful…” He sighed. “Adrien, there’s something I need to discuss with you.”

“Oh?”

“Indeed… it’s rather jarring, I think, but you have a right to know more than anyone.” Gabriel removed his tie, taking the butterfly pin and placing it in Adrien’s hand. 

Adrien’s eyes widened. “You’re Hawkmoth.”

“Oui.” Gabriel sat on the other end of Adrien’s couch, hands in lap.

“Is that why—”

“Yes.”

Adrien nodded. “Is Nathalie Mayura?”

“Mm-hmm.”

“Does she know it’s you?”

Gabriel shook his head. “Nor am I revealing that to her. Adrien, I’ve been dating Nathalie, somewhat in secret. I’ve been seeing her as Hawkmoth. She has no idea who I really am.”

“You… Papa, don’t you think you should tell her who you are? She’d probably be willing to move here if you—”

“Nathalie does  _ not _ need to stay around here for longer than she has to. Adrien, I don’t think Nathalie cares for me outside of the transformation. She cares a great deal about you, however, but…” Gabriel sighed. “Adrien, I love you, very much, but I want the woman I care deeply for to want me for me, not my son.”

Adrien nodded. “I understand, Father.” He rubbed his ring. “Father, can you promise me something?”

“Yes, what is it?”

“Promise you won’t send any more akumas? And give up the miraculous, at least for evil purposes?”

Gabriel smiled. “For you, my son, I shall. For Nathalie too. You have my word, if that holds any value anymore…”

Adrien smiled reassuringly. “It does, papa. There is something I need to share, too.  _ Plagg, claws out!” _

Gabriel stumbled back, landing on the floor after flipping over the arm of the couch. “M-My son… Adrien… wh… I somewhat suspected it but I totally dismissed the idea…” He felt his tears welling in his eyes, clutching the couch with fear and shame circling through his mind.

“Papa. Please, it’s alright.” Chat Noir offered a gloved hand, Gabriel slowly grasping it. “This is something new for both of us. And, I want to help keep your secret.”

Gabriel’s eyes widened. “You do?”

“Yes, Papa. I promise, your secret is safe with me. If you ever need a” Chat coughed, “convenient getaway, I’ll provide for you.”

“You’d make a good villain.”

“Don’t push it.”

Gabriel laughed. “I won’t, I was joking. Something you don’t see every day, yes?”

Chat Noir grinned. “It’s good to see you act like yourself more, Pere.” He murmured his de-transformation phrase, settling back on the couch. “Did you still want to watch a movie together, papa?”

“Oui, what did you have in mind?”

“Hmm…” Adrien picked up the remote, scrolling through the options. “Something scary?”

“That will keep both of us up, don’t you think?”

“Right… oh! How about this?”

A romantic mystery film with a greyscale cover and red text was on the screen. “ _ Detective Cupid? _ Adrien, isn’t this a romance?”

Adrien grinned. “It’s about a man who’s main suspect is the woman he falls in love with. They have to figure out how to see each other without anyone knowing. It’s good! There’s plenty of gun violence.”

“Very well.” Gabriel ruffled his hair. “But I’m skipping any sexual scenes.”

“Deal!”

* * *

The movie was nearly over, and Adrien was fast asleep on Gabriel’s chest. Gabriel squinted at the television, trying not to fall asleep himself.

_ “My love… I have a troubling secret…” _

_ “What is it, Viola, dear?” _

_ “I’m pregnant, mon cher!” _

The couple embraced, crashing their lips together and moaning. Gabriel rolled his eyes, turning the movie off. “We all saw  _ that _ coming…”

Nooroo flew into the room, settling on Gabriel’s head. “Are you worried about you and Nathalie?”

Gabriel shook his head. “Nathalie’s infertile. We’d be incredibly lucky if she was able to conceive. Besides, it isn’t the best time to expand our family. She doesn’t even know my face.”

“Everyone knows your face but her, Mr. Agreste.”

Nooroo had recently been toeing the line of addressing Gabriel, easing off of “Master” and instead addressing him as Nathalie did. Gabriel still mostly ignored the purple kwami but had let himself be more kind. He discovered the being’s fondness for kiwi and made a point to leave some out, along with Duusu’s salted crickets.

_ Everyone knows my face but you. _ “Nooroo, would there be a way to edit my appearance as Hawkmoth?”

“...I suppose so…”

Gabriel nodded. “Let’s try it out.” He gently lifted Adrien up, hoisting him into his arms and walking him over to his bed, laying him down. He pulled the covers up to Adrien’s shoulders, kissing his forehead to finish. “Sweet dreams, my son.”

Nooroo floated down to eye level, smiling. “Whenever you are ready, we can begin.”

“Mm, not here. Let’s go to my bedroom.” Gabriel opened the door to Adrien’s room and crossed the hall.

Gabriel shut the door once he and Nooroo were safely inside. “So, how do we do this?”

“How would you like to look, sir?”

“I’d like my face and hair to be more visible, I suppose. Maybe just a simple mask around the eyes. The glamour should prevent Nathalie from recognizing me.”

“Yes, sir, it should. Very well. Go ahead and transform, using ‘light wings’ this time.”

Gabriel frowned. “Come again?”

Nooroo tapped his appendages together anxiously. “You’re just going to transform for a moment, yes? You’ll still have the same power, but it will be for good instead of evil!”

“Mm. Fine.  _ Light wings, rise! _ ”

The usual look of Hawkmoth, with black and dark purple, was now lavender and a medium silver-gray. Gabriel’s blond-grey hair was fluffy and curved mostly to one side, and a silver mask covered the area around his eyes up to his hairline. It curved down in the usual butterfly insignia, the points defining the bottom edge of the mask. Hawkmoth looked in the full-length mirror beside his bed, nodding with approval. “I’m pleasantly surprised…” He smiled. “I hope Nathalie likes this new look…” He de-transformed after a moment, lying down on the bed. “Nooroo…”

“Yes, sir?”

“I’ll make sure to buy you extra kiwis tomorrow.”

Excited by the prospect of fruit, Nooroo grinned broadly, settling himself on the base of Gabriel’s bedside table lamp, snuggling under scraps of fabric he had found. 

“Goodnight, Mr. Agreste.”

“Goodnight, Nooroo.”

* * *

It was three in the morning and Nathalie couldn’t sleep. Duusu was jostled awake by Nathalie rolling over suddenly, groaning in frustration.

“Miss Nathalie!” In an instant, Duusu was right above Nathalie’s head. “What’s the matter?”

Nathalie brushed the small being aside, sitting up. “I can’t sleep.”

“Nightmare?”

“No…” Nathalie hugged her knees to her chest. “Duusu, do you think… do you think there’s a fair chance I could be pregnant, after that one time?”

Duusu settled on Nathalie’s arm, pondering. “I’m not sure. Hawkmoth could tell most likely, why?”

Nathalie’s brow furrowed. “How’s that?”

“Well, once a fetus’ brain develops enough, he should be able to sense its emotions, just like any other creature. And if you were to hide it from him, you might give the secret away inadvertently.”

Nathalie nodded. “I see…” She shrugged. “I’m not expecting to get my period for another week… I won’t worry too much.” Her hand cupped around Duusu, bringing him to her cheek. “Thank you for talking with me.”

Duusu lovingly nuzzled her, giggling as Nathalie gently kissed his head. “Of course, Miss Nathalie!”

“Mm… I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep now, Duusu…” Nathalie sighed. “Let’s go make some coffee, I’ll likely need two pots today…”

“But—”

“Hmm?”

Duusu sighed. “Miss Nathalie, what if you  _ are _ pregnant? Caffeine isn’t… great for babies, right?”

Nathalie looked down at her stomach, patting it sadly. “There’s nothing in here, Duusu… it would take a miracle. Besides,” she stood up, replacing the covers, “I’m not so sure it’s a good idea to have a baby with the villain of Paris, even if I am his partner…”

Duusu settled on her shoulder. “As you wish, miss Nathalie… though your baby would be adorable!” He squealed, rocketing towards the ceiling. “Imagine, a tiny little Nathalie crawling around, wearing a butterfly onesie! Oh! You could dress them up like a peacock! We could  _ match _ !”

Nathalie giggled, watching as Duusu started to ramble off ideas for him and a baby to spend time together, making circles around her kitchen. “I feel like you’d be more excited to have a baby than I would be, Duusu.”

“Heh… I love babies, Miss Nathalie. They’re  _ fascinating! _ ”

“Well… someday, I would’ve liked to have one of my own.” Nathalie frowned. “But I likely won’t.”

Duusu drifted down onto the counter, patting Nathalie’s hand. “I’m sorry, Miss Nathalie… I shouldn’t have said anything…” He sniffled, on the verge of crying. Nathalie scooped him up, brushing the top of his head with her finger.

“There, there, Duusu. Don’t you worry. Maybe I’ll adopt. Or get a kitten.”

Duusu gasped. “A  _ kitten _ ? Oh my gosh, oh my gosh!” He zoomed up again, squealing about cat paws and jingle toys. Nathalie listened to her kwami, laughing and enjoying her coffee as they mused about a potential pet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you couldn't tell already, I'm trying to draw things out......
> 
> Let me know how it's going. I can speed things up/slow things down.


	4. Way 2 Go Gabe, You Pissed Her Off

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is the moment, Gabriel knew, he FUCKED UP.

The morning was not a good one. That was evident as soon as Nathalie woke up, went to work, and found her assignment laid out for her. Gabriel didn’t respond to her calls or emails, and didn’t show up to the office until Nathalie was getting coffee. 

The bluenette was fed up, swallowing the last of her coffee and turning to leave the kitchen. Duusu hovered beside her, worriedly fidgeting.

“It’s been a month, Miss Nathalie.”

“I know, Duusu.”

“You should consider taking a test.”

“I  _ know _ , Duusu.” 

The blue kwami flew swiftly after her, nearly smacking against the hallway’s walls as Nathalie stormed towards Gabriel’s office, her heels making a dull thud against the marble floor. She slammed the door open, fuming. “AGRESTE!”

Gabriel stood behind his podium, as usual, frowning. “Nathalie, I’d appreciate it if you didn’t slam my doors.”

“You’re damn lucky it wasn’t my heel up your  _ ass! _ This is  _ UNACCEPTABLE! _ ”

“I’m sorry, what?”

Nathalie let the files in her arms fall with a  _ splat _ onto her desk. “You never told me you would be making a DEBUT appearance of your new line with not only Audrey, no no, you also signed  _ Lila Rossi?! _ I thought we dumped her after that failed campaign!”

Gabriel raised an eyebrow, not thrilled about Nathalie’s outburst. “You’ve done far more complex arranging with many more clients, what is all…” He gestured awkwardly, “ _ this _ about? I don’t appreciate your lack of handling this information, Miss Sancoeur.”

Nathalie leaned over her desk, bowing her head. She stood up quickly, turning to face him and say something more, but she instead collapsed, falling flat on her face.

“Nathalie!” Gabriel was at her side in an instant, propping her up and taking her pulse.

“I… I’m fine…”

“You’re paler than usual, and,” Gabriel felt her forehead, “you’re incredibly warm, and a bit slick…” He took his handkerchief out of his suit jacket, folding it neatly and patting her forehead dry. Nathalie tried to brush him away but instead relented after losing the strength to fight.

“You are unfit to work. I see that now. Take the day off, drink plenty of water. Oh, and do eat something…”

Nathalie, who was now able to struggle to her feet, shook her head. “I...I can’t… everything just… comes back up,” she panted.

Gabriel frowned. “How long has this been going on?”

“I… a few days, maybe, a week…”

“Nathalie… I knew that handling the two of them would be a challenge, but I didn’t think it would affect you this badly. You need to rest.” He offered his arm. “I’m taking you to a guest room. You ought to rest before you go home.”

“I’ll be fine, just let me get back to—” Nathalie’s hand flew to her mouth. Gabriel, now incredibly worried, led her to the bathroom, sitting with her as she dry-heaved.

“Nathalie…” Gabriel began after a while. “Please,  _ please _ get some rest. I can replace an assistant, but I can’t replace you.”

Nathalie forced a small smile, nodding. “Very well. I’ll rest. But only for an hour.”

“No. You’re taking the day off, and tomorrow.”

“But, sir—!”

“I’ll handle the preparations for the line myself. Your health is far too important to me to let you risk it like this. Rest. I’ll bring you something gentle for dinner, and tea if you’d like some, later.”

“Fine.”

Gabriel nodded, satisfied. He went into the guest-room closet just outside the guest bathroom they were in and grabbed a pair of soft cotton pajamas. “Get comfortable, Nathalie. If there’s anything you need, text it to me.”

Nathalie smiled, for real this time. “Thank you, Gabriel.”

“Of course. Have a good rest.”

The pajamas were indeed soft as Nathalie ran her hand over them. Duusu nuzzled into her neck once Gabriel was gone, chirping, “You should take one, Miss Nathalie! You have a lot of similar symptoms.”

“Alright, alright, I will.” Nathalie heard a soft knock on the door, assuming it was Gabriel again. “Yes?”

“I brought your purse up for you, in case you needed anything from it… I figure your phone is in here, yes?”

Nathalie took it from him, setting it on the bed. “Yes, thank you, sir.” Once Gabriel had left again, she opened it, taking out the pregnancy test she had bought earlier in the week. 

Duusu wriggled with excitement, hopping up and down on the vanity. “Oh, I know what I’m hoping for!!”

Nathalie shooed him out of the bathroom, rolling her eyes. Five minutes later, she opened the door again, a neutral expression on her face.

“Ah! Show me, show me,  _ show me! _ ” Duusu squealed, grabbing the test and spinning around. He peered at it, frowning. “Two lines? What… what does that mean?”

Nathalie smiled, scooping him out of the air and kissing his head. “It means you’ll have a baby to play with after all, Duusu.”

If a firework would’ve gone off just then, Duusu would’ve drowned it out. He rocketed into the air, swerving in every direction, gripping the test snugly. “Miss Nathalie’s having a baby!!!!”

“Shh, Duusu! Not so loud!”

“Oh, sorry…” He whisper-yelled it this time, continuing to squeal at normal volume. Nathalie sighed, choosing to lie on the bed while this all happened.

* * *

Nooroo, who unsurprisingly heard Duusu’s cries, wrung his appendages in worry. A baby would definitely throw a wrench into things, even though the evil Hawkmoth days were nearly over. He began to pace through the air, his small wings twitching with worry.

“Nooroo, you’re pacing again,” Gabriel huffed, somewhat irritated. Somehow, the man didn’t hear the shrieks of the blue kwami… perhaps he had learned to drown them out. Nooroo was slightly envious.

“Mr. Agreste, I’m sensing… well, I’m sensing a new presence, I suppose. It could be nothing.”

Gabriel tapped the miraculous on his chest as he thought about it, shrugging it off after a moment. “I sense nothing unusual. Though Nathalie is not resting like she ought to.”

“Duusu is keeping her up, sir.”

“Ah. Well then, perhaps it’s time we made a visit.”

“A… a visit, sir?”

Gabriel nodded. “Nooroo, light wings,  _ rise! _ ”

Hawkmoth, or at least a version of Hawkmoth, stood where Gabriel was, flexing his fingers. “This is quite the change, isn’t it? It’s even lighter in the daytime…” 

Carefully looking across the yard, Hawkmoth shut off the security camera and snuck out the window of the office, shutting it tightly. He then scrambled out of sight, making his way to the guest-room window at the back of the house.

Nathalie had her back to the window as he eased it open, softly landing his feet on the carpeted floor.

“ _ Bonjour, mon coeur _ .”

“I— Papillon!” Nathalie scrambled to shut the window, pulling him further into the bedroom. “Did anyone see you?”

“No, no, everything’s fine. I just came to see you.”

Nathalie frowned. “How did you know to come here?”

“I followed the squeals… did something happen to cause Duusu to act this way?”

Duusu came down from the light fixture, grinning excitedly. “Nathalie is—”

“ _ Duusu.” _

“Um… she’s…”

Nathalie sighed, taking Hawkmoth by the shoulders and sitting him down on the bed. “First of all, I admire the new appearance.” She fluffed his hair, giggling. “And second… Papillon, it… it won’t just be Hawkmoth and Mayura anymore…”

Hawkmoth frowned, furrowed his brow, and released it moments later, a small smile forming on his face. “You’re… you’re…”

“Yes. We’re having a baby, my love.”

In an instant, Nathalie was being held high above Hawkmoth’s head as he spun her around, bringing her down to kiss her. He winced afterward, gently setting her down. “Sorry, love, I bet that wasn’t pleasant…”

Nathalie sat down on the bed, bringing a hand to her head but otherwise smiling. “It’s alright… I’m kind of excited too…” She frowned. “But this is quite a step backward, isn’t it? How are we supposed to fulfill your wish if we…”

Hawkmoth waved his hands in dismissal. “Forget that. Nathalie, I’ve made a solid choice. I want to stay with you. Forever, if you’ll let me. I want to have a part in our baby’s life, I want to be a main figure in yours.”

Nathalie nodded. “I want that too.” She nuzzled into his chest. “I hope eventually, however, that I’ll know who’s behind the mask. Otherwise,” she chuckled, “You’ll have to be ‘Papa-pillon.’”

“I can live with that…” He kissed her cheek, climbing onto the mattress behind her and detransforming once he was safely behind her.

“Hawkm—”

“I want to feel you with my own hands.”

Nathalie held a breath, closing her eyes. “Very well.” She reached behind her for his hand, clutching it tightly once he accepted.

“Nathalie… I promise you, love, I will protect you… both of you.” Gabriel brushed her hair aside, gently kissing the back of her neck.

“Mm… what cologne are you wearing today?”

Gabriel flinched. “Um… G-Gabriel brand, why?”

Nathalie let out a soft laugh. “You do realize he’s my  _ boss _ , right? I don’t know how I feel about you wearing similar cologne to him…”

“Ah… you don’t like it, then?”

“No, no, it’s not that…” Nathalie sighed. “I never wanted to confess this to you, Papillon, and I don’t feel this way anymore, but… for a long while, I had… affection… towards Gabriel.”

Gabriel paled, then flushed. “You… you did? Ah… I had no idea…”

“Yes. But he’d never choose me over Emilie. She means too much to him, and Adrien…” Nathalie shook her head. “I made my decision. And it led me to you, my darling.”

Gabriel hugged her close, careful not to hug her too tightly, even though she wasn’t showing quite yet. “I’m quite glad.”

“Hawkmoth?”

“Yes?”

“I should probably get some sleep… Gabriel has this idea that I won’t be able to work tomorrow, and I want to prove him wrong.”

Gabriel swallowed his pride as he nodded, transforming once again. “Right, of course. I’ll let you rest.” He leaned over to kiss her forehead, gently brushing her cheek with his hand. “Love you.”

Nathalie leaned into his hand, smiling. “Love you too.”

Hawkmoth walked out her door, acting like he’d sneak around but actually just shut the door and transformed back into Gabriel. 

Adrien walked down the hall once he had, raising an eyebrow. “She won’t get any rest if you keep bothering her, papa.”

Gabriel looked away, a soft blush adorning his cheeks. “Mm. Right.”

“Were you able to figure out why she was sick?”

“Afraid not. If this continues, I plan to bring her in to get checked out.”

Adrien nodded, satisfied. “That would probably be best, papa...Are you still able to have lunch with me?”

“Yes, I believe so.”

Adrien smiled. “Then let’s go! The car won’t drive itself.” He stopped. “Unless there’s something you need to tell me.”

“About… Nathalie?”

“No, about the car! Father, you’re one of the richest people in Paris, who knows what kind of new machinery you have access to…”

Adrien’s voice trailed off as he and Gabriel walked to the car, heading to one of their favorite restaurants.

Duusu settled onto Nathalie’s pillow, observing her breathing. His tail twitched as he padded down to her stomach, curling up to it similarly to a cat and sighing contently. “Goodnight, Miss Nathalie… good night, baby…”

Nathalie, still slightly conscious, cupped her hand around her kwami, smiling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HE FINALLY KNOWS, THERE'S FINALLY A BABY MENTION
> 
> Also, yes, I did hop onto the baby fic bandwagon. Fight me.


	5. Now I want bagel with salmon and cream cheese, dang it

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gabriel and Adrien notice some changes in Nathalie’s person, and discover her secret.

Gabriel smiled to himself, styling his hair up for the day. The newly found love of his life was expecting a baby, one that he himself was responsible for.

“Nooroo, do you know what this means?”

“What, sir?”

“I’ll get to experience becoming a father all over again.”

Nooroo nodded. “And it’s with Miss Nathalie, your ideal partner.”

Gabriel tugged at his sleeve, adjusting his clothing in the mirror. “I thought that Nathalie and I might have lunch together today. I want her to tell me about the baby.”

“Couldn’t you just reveal your identity, Mr. Agreste?”

“...No.” Gabriel hung his head. “I can’t. Not yet. I need Nathalie to learn to like me as myself, not Hawkmoth.”

“But—!”

“Enough, Nooroo.” Gabriel allowed him to settle on his hand, placing him on his shoulder. “I will not be transforming today. You are allowed to roam the mansion, presuming that Nathalie nor Duusu see you.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Then go.”

Nooroo phased through the wall, likely whizzing off to find more kiwis.

* * *

Nathalie was sitting at her desk, humming to herself. It had only been a day and she had grown somewhat accustomed to the life inside of her. She didn’t have much of a bump yet, as she was only a bit more than a month along, but she was looking forward to it… mostly. Hawkmoth’s identity worried her more than she liked to admit.

“Good morning, Nathalie.”

“Good morning, Mr. Agreste.”

Gabriel went over to the curtains, drawing them open with a smile. “It’s a lovely day outside, isn’t it… Nathalie, would you mind terribly if I opened the windows? The office could use a little October air, while it’s still warm.”

Nathalie nodded. “It would do some good, sir.” She turned away from him, fingers curling around her mug of coffee.

“Did you happen to make a full pot, Nathalie?”

“Ah, you wouldn’t want it, sir…”

Gabriel frowned. “Why not?”

Nathalie tensed. “It’s… It’s decaf, sir…”

Gabriel froze in his tracks. “D... _ decaf _ ? Nathalie, I have known you for  _ years _ , and you’ve never,  _ ever _ , drank decaf. Are you feeling alright? Do you need to lie down, or take the day off?”

Nathalie chuckled, shaking her head. “No, no, nothing like that…” She smiled. “I’m just changing my routine for a little while. That reminds me...” She stood up, taking a file from her outbox and handing it to Gabriel with a pen. “I’ll need to take a few months off starting at the end of May.”

“Wh…” Gabriel looked down at the file, squinting at it. “Nathalie…” He sighed, signing off on it. “Very well, I won’t press any further. When do you expect to be back?”

“September, most likely.”

“Hmm. I’ll have to find a replacement if you’ll be gone for nearly four months… would you put it on the calendar, please?”

“Of course, sir.” Nathalie turned back to walk to her desk. “Oh, and one more thing, sir…”

Gabriel nodded. “Go ahead.”

“W— could we discuss the uniform policy?”

“We have a board meeting beginning of December, can it wait until then?”

_ December 5th — Board Meeting.  _ Nathalie had scheduled it a week ago. “Yes, that’s fine…”  _ I’ll just have to get creative with my suit and slacks until then.  _

Satisfied, Gabriel returned to his own work, leaving Nathalie to her own devices until her lunch break. They had agreed to have catering today since Adrien didn’t have classes.

“Nathalie? Father?”

Adrien had come through the door, peeking in.

“Hello, son.”

Nathalie nodded at him, smiling. “Lunch should be arriving any minute now, Adrien. We ordered your favorite.”

Adrien grinned. “Thanks, mama!”

Gabriel raised an eyebrow. “M… Adrien, did you just—?”

The doorbell rang before anyone could speak. Nathalie stood up, checking the comm. “It’s lunch. I’ll get it, sir.”

“No, that’s alright, Nathalie, I’ve got it.” Gabriel stood, going to the door to handle the transaction.

“Where did you order from, Nathalie?” 

“Oh, just a little place called DuPain-Cheng’s. They serve sandwiches and soup now.”

“Marinette’s parents? Really?”

Gabriel came in with the bags, smiling. “They’re quite convincing. Though it doesn’t take much, wait until you see the bagel sandwiches…”

Nathalie’s smile grew wider as she reached into a bag, hand closing on a toasted Caprese sandwich, the smell of balsamic vinegar and mozzarella sending her into a daze. She set that aside for herself, continuing to unload the bags. Bagel sandwiches with smoked salmon, cream cheese, and sesame seeds, toasted ham and cheese, chicken dumpling soup, tortellini soup, and bacon, egg, and cheese bagel sandwiches were in the first bag. The second bag had a spinach quiche, a bacon quiche, a dozen macarons assorted, and six pistachio macarons packaged in the traditional DuPain-Cheng boxes.

“The pistachio variety is for you, Nathalie, I know you like them.”

Nathalie nodded. “Thank you, sir.”

“I ordered one of your favorites: lox with cream cheese and onion on a sesame seed bagel.” Gabriel slid it towards her, smiling.

“Ah…” Nathalie warily looked at the wrapped sandwich, shaking her head. “Thanks, but I’ll pass.”

“‘Pass’?” Adrien frowned. “Nathalie, you love smoked salmon bagels.”

“I’m, um, well… I’m taking a break from eating them for a while, that’s all.”

Gabriel took the sandwich back, eyebrow raised in speculation. “Decaf coffee… no smoked salmon… time off?” It then dawned on him what all these things would have in common. “Nathalie… you’re pregnant?”

Nathalie’s shoulders tensed as she slowly turned to him, eyes wide. “Y… yes, I am.”

Adrien grinned broadly, hastily walking to her and hugging her semi-tightly. “Mama! That’s wonderful!”

“Wh— Adrien, that’s the second time you’ve called me ‘mama’ today, what’s going on?”

“Do you not like it?” Adrien slowly withdrew his hug, looking solemnly at the floor. “I’ll stop.”

It was Nathalie who squeezed him into a hug next, kissing his hair. “I love it.”

Gabriel smiled, completing the embrace by taking both of them in his arms. “Nathalie,” he murmured, just loud enough for the three of them to hear, “if you need anything, please don’t hesitate to ask.”

Nathalie smiled. “Thank you, Mr. Ag—”

“Gabriel.”

“What?”

“Gabriel. Just Gabriel, from here on out. It would be weird if your child were to call me ‘M. Agreste’, don’t you think?”

“Perhaps they’ll call you ‘sir’, sir.”

“They just might.” Gabriel chuckled. “I can only imagine a smaller version of you around the office, calling me ‘sir’ and answering phone calls in a small little child voice.”

Nathalie laughed. “You’d never get any peace. They’d be running up to you, asking for their papa’s attention all day.”

An awkward silence followed that statement, Nathalie clearing her throat. “My apologies, sir, my thoughts are—”

“Don’t worry about it, Nathalie. I’m honored to be a second father to your children in your subconscious,” he laughed, breaking the hug. “Now, we should get to eating this food, especially you, madame,” he took her arm gently, leading her to her spot at the table. “Caprese should be alright for you to eat, yes?”

“I—” Nathalie shrugged. “I’m not sure… I’ve never been pregnant before, Gabriel.”

“Hmm.” Gabriel had an idea— she could see it in the way his nose scrunched ever so slightly. “I’ll just be a minute.” With that, he turned and left, likely headed to his bedroom.

“So Nathalie,” Adrien set her plate and bowl of soup in front of her, “when does your baby come?”

Nathalie smiled. “They’re supposed to be here early June if my math is right. I have an appointment next week.”

“Will you know the gender?”

“Not for a while yet… though part of me wants a little boy, honestly. but…” She looked down at her stomach, then at Adrien. “If they’re half as wonderful as you, I’d take anything I’m given.”

Adrien felt himself tear up. He hugged her again, kissing her cheek and settling into his chair as Gabriel returned from his ‘voyage’.

“This, Nathalie, is something I think you ought to have,” he stated, setting a book down next to her plate.

“ _ What to Expect When You’re Expecting: Expanded Edition _ ?”

Gabriel nodded. “It contains pregnancy, birth, and the first year all in one volume. That way, you’ll have reference to what you may be feeling, or calm any worries. And hear me when I say you will  _ not _ have as rough a time as we did with Adrien.”

Adrien frowned. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Adrien, my boy, I love you very much, but  _ good Lord _ , you were not a very good baby. You were incredibly fussy and refused a bottle for several weeks. I considered hiring a wet nurse for you, so your mother could get back to her acting. You were also quite vocal, if I remember.”

Nathalie nodded. “You were always good for me, though. Thank you, Adrien.”

“Hmph. You’d think a boy would be good to his father as a wee infant… I suppose it’s too much to ask.”

“At least he’s a pleasant boy now, Gabriel,” Nathalie reached to pat Gabriel’s hand, scrunching her nose in amusement.

“Oui… for the most part.” Gabriel raised his eyebrow in a mock intimidation glare towards Adrien, the young blond laughing and pushing the food towards him. 

* * *

Later that night Nathalie was flipping through the book Gabriel had given her, her hand resting on the lower half of her stomach. She smoothed the sheer pink nightgown with her hand, smiling down at the barely visible bump that was her embryo within her. 

A light tap on her window broke her from her thoughts, Nathalie going to open it to find Hawkmoth standing there.

“Hello, my darling.”

Nathalie smiled. “Papillon.”

“How is my lovely woman… and child,” he murmured, kissing her jaw.

“Just fine, my love… come, lie with me.”

Nathalie settled herself on her bed, patting the sheets beside her. Hawkmoth thought for a moment about joining her but ultimately shook his head and stepped back.

“I only came to see how you were doing… I shouldn’t stay.”

“But—”

“Nathalie.” Hawkmoth’s eyes were different. “As long as I wear this mask, the two of you aren’t safe with me around. I took a big risk coming here tonight. It won’t happen again, not for a while. If anyone found out it was my baby…” He took a shaky breath. “People can be ruthless, Nathalie. You’d be killed, best-case scenario.”

Nathalie’s face fell. “You’re leaving me.”

“To protect you.”

“Get out.”

Hawkmoth sighed. “Nathalie—”

“If you’re not willing to just  _ reveal _ yourself to me so that I could know my baby’s father’s  _ fucking _ first name, then I’m not willing to deal with you anymore. Get out, and stay away from me. And don’t come looking for my baby, either.”

“Very well. Goodnight, Nathalie.” Hawkmoth gave her a defeated glance before leaping away into the night.

Nathalie turned her face into her pillow and sobbed, gripping the sheets under her in agony.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gotta throw a little angst in there, right?
> 
> Also Gabe’s a liar.


	6. TOE BEANS

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gabriel: *sweats*  
> Nathalie: *is adorable preggo*
> 
> They get a cat uwu

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little "housekeeping", I guess? The next chapter will be taking a HUGE time skip. I'm planning on writing a companion fic, for the same universe, that contains fluffy preggo shenanigans. But in order for the plot to advance some, I'm skipping a lot of that. So expect to see some baby action a lot sooner than expected. You won't miss much, the plot is still very much there, and fairly stagnant during that time.
> 
> Just to let you know. This chapter is also shorter as a result. Don't worry: there's plenty of story coming eh heh heh.

_ Damn. _

Nathalie had started to waddle as she walked, barely noticeable unless you were looking for it.

_ That’s so fucking CUTE. _

Gabriel’s eyes followed her to her desk, as she sat, hand braced on her now more obvious bump, draped in a fluffy, loose yellow sweater. Her hands were mostly covered by cuffed sleeves, her delicate fingers dancing over her keyboard.

He hated that she was still working. She stubbornly insisted on working, arguing that she’d need money to care for the baby, but Gabriel knew that was utter  _ bullshit. _ He’d provide everything that Fluffy, Nathalie’s affectionate nickname for the baby, would ever need. Hell, he started a college fund for them. He may not be the “father”, but damn if he wasn’t trying to be a part of this baby’s life another way.

Nathalie started to hum to herself, a habit she had picked up during all of this. Gabriel smiled, recognizing the melody as a lullaby she and Emilie would sing to a little Adrien once upon a time.

Part of him wanted to scoop her up, carry her to bed and tuck her amongst several fluffy pillows, give her treats, kiss her incessantly, bring her little kittens to cuddle and purr against her, kneading the blankets like little bakers making bread. Nathalie wasn’t supposed to potentially observe nesting instincts for months, but Gabriel was feeling them,  _ hard. _

“Nathalie—”

The woman in question perked up, looking at him with a small smile. “Yes?”

_ Shit. She’s  _ glowing. _ Fucking—  _ “Do you need anything? Water, snacks, a break?”

“No, I’m fine.” Nathalie turned back to her computer, gently stroking the top of her bump.

_ Maybe I should think about getting those kittens… _ “Nathalie, do you like cats?”

“Sure, why?”

Gabriel threaded a pencil between his fingers in thought, nodding. “I’m thinking about getting a kitten. I wanted to get your opinion before I picked one up; if the baby would be—”

“Gabriel.” Nathalie pushed her keyboard back, laying her hands on her desk and facing him. “I think that’s a wonderful idea.” She giggled. “The thought of you coddling a kitten is quite entertaining, sir.”

“Mm.” Gabriel smiled. “Will you come with me to the shelter today? I’d like your expert opinion.”

“During lunch?”

“Or now. We have nothing to do, honestly…”

“Gabriel—”

Gabriel walked over to her, standing over her. “You shouldn’t even be working, Nathalie.”

Nathalie protectively curled around her middle, glaring up at him. “I didn’t ask to be pregnant,  _ Agreste _ .”

Despite knowing that she had no idea that he was involved in such a process, he flinched, fear flickering across his features before regaining composure. “I… I’m sorry, Nathalie. I just want you to be safe, a-and happy,” he stuttered.

Nathalie patted his hand. “I know…” She sighed. “You’re right. But like I said before, I can’t just  _ not  _ work. I need this job.” She stood up, stretching out her back. “Now, about that kitty?”

Gabriel went to stand next to her, offering to put his arm around her shoulders. She nestled into his side, walking with him to the door. He helped her put a rather puffy coat on, just barely zipping. 

Adrien came down the stairs, grinning. “Where are you two headed?”

“Would you like to come? Your father’s getting a kitten.”

In an instant Adrien was bundled in his coat and mittens, eagerness glimmering in his eyes. Both adults chuckled, Gabriel opening the door for the three of them.

The snow was gently falling on their heads, dusting their hair and hats, sitting on their eyelashes. Gabriel couldn’t help but stare as Nathalie blinked, her dark lashes accented by soft powdery flecks. How he had once managed to get her attention, he’d never understand.

The car ride was a slow one, it felt like, as the pseudo-family drove to the animal shelter. Nathalie and Adrien were debating the best breed of cat while Gabriel drove, his right hand resting on top of Nathalie’s unconsciously. She didn’t seem to mind, however, as she turned it over and squeezed it.

“What kind of breed do you think we should get, Gabriel?”

“Mm. I’m not sure, lov— Nathalie,” Gabriel caught himself awkwardly, smiling a bit too widely. He gently shook his head. “Perhaps just a shorthair?”

Nathalie nodded. “That’s what I was thinking. But I’ll take anything, honestly…”

They arrived at the shelter just as Nathalie said that, the three of them parking and getting out. A friendly lady carrying a cat on her shoulder came out to greet them. “Hello, and welcome! What can I help you with today?”

“Hello. We’re looking for a kitten,” Adrien stated, grinning. 

“Alrighty! Come on in… we’ve got a fresh batch of kittens just the other day, perhaps you’ll find one that speaks to you!” The woman led them through, pausing to allow them to hang their coats on a corner rack. 

A small pile of feisty kittens was in the room they entered, Adrien kneeling down a few feet away. A little orange kitten wandered over to him, its tail straight in the air as it reached its paws up onto his knee.

Nathalie sat in a comfy chair near the window, giggling as Adrien’s lap started to fill with tiny furballs, mewing indignantly. She noticed one that wasn’t near him, a little grey kitten with snowy white paws lying in a soft bed.

Gabriel saw the kitten she was looking at, gently scooping it up and placing it on her stomach. Nathalie giggled, taking the small creature in her hands and turning its little face towards her. “Hello, tiny one.”

The grey kitten mewled, its small claws flexing against her thumbs as she held it up. It had deep brown eyes with a green circle just around the pupil. Nathalie gently set it back on her stomach and pet its head with two fingers, smiling as the kitten settled there and began to fall asleep, purring.

Adrien turned to look at her, murmuring a small “Awww.”

Gabriel watched the sleepy kitten as it yawned, settling there on Nathalie’s bump. “I think we found the one, hmm?”

“She’s perfect.”

The woman from earlier nodded. “She’s a bit lazier than her siblings, but she’s definitely a lovey one. Her mother is fairly laid back too.”

Adrien nodded. “I think she’s just right, papa.”

“Agreed. We’ll take her.”

“Excellent. If you would just come to sign a few things, Mr. Agreste…”

Nathalie watched the two of them leave, Adrien walking over to her and gently petting the little grey kitten.

“It looks like she’s wearing little booties.”

“Mm. She’s adorable…” Nathalie felt herself tear up, bringing a hand to her mouth. “I’m s-sorry,” she hiccupped, “I… I’ve…”

Adrien hugged her. “It’s okay, mama, I get it. I love her too.”

Gabriel came back with the keeper, who he found out was named Louise Scarlet. “Lou said we can bring her home now, loves.”

Nathalie stood, with an assisting arm from Adrien, handing the kitten to Gabriel to put her in a carrier. 

Louise smiled. “Little Apple here comes with a month’s supply of food, as well as her carrier and a microchip! She’s been spayed, and her vaccines should be good until November.”

“Thank you very much, madame.” Gabriel smiled, leading his family to the car. They were bringing the newest member of their pseudo-family home.

* * *

Later that night, before Nathalie went home, she called for Gabriel, crying. He came running, immediately glued to her side.

“Nathalie? What happened? What’s wrong?”

Nathalie held up Apple, grasping one little paw and turning it over. “Beans.” She hiccupped. “She has little toe beans.”

Gabriel, relieved that nothing serious was wrong, chuckled, lightly kissing Nathalie’s temple. “Yes, Nat, the kitty has toe beans.”

“They’re so cute…”

“Mm-hmm.”

Apple mewed, curling up on Nathalie’s chest. Nathalie kissed the top of her head, stroking down her back with one finger.

“You ought to get home, Nathalie… unless you want to stay here for the night again.”

“Mm… may I?”

Gabriel nodded, smiling. “Of course you may. I’ll get a change of clothes and some pajamas for youuu…” He mentally cursed. “Um… would you mind a whole lot if I give you some of my clothes? I’m afraid nothing else I have will fit over the baby…”

Nathalie nodded. “That’s fine. As long as they’re clean.”

“Of course they’re clean, I—” Gabriel pursed his lip in a pout. “I wouldn’t give you dirty clothes, Natters.”

“Good. Oh, and can you bring a sweatshirt? I’m cold. No, wait, I’m hot… But it’s cold in… ah hell. Bring me both, please.”

Laughing, Gabriel went to fetch her some clothes, bringing her upstairs once he had done so.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some nice fluff, free of charge.
> 
> Also, there are several nods to some friends, including my lovely betas, and my friend Juice who suggested the kitten's coloring!! :3


	7. TRIGGER WARNING: MENTIONS OF AB*SE

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> TRIGGER WARNING  
> TRIGGER WARNING  
> MENTIONS OF PHYSICAL ABUSE
> 
> I'll indicate in the actual chapter if you'd like to skip that part. Essentially, Gabe has PTSD about his and Emilie's relationship, and Nathalie accidentally triggers it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I cannot stress this enough. TRIGGER WARNING.
> 
> Also, this chapter is ANGST HEAVY.

June 3rd. June 3rd was the day this baby decided it wanted out. Nathalie woke up in unbearable pain, crying out as she tried to sit up.

Gabriel, startled, ran down the hall, opening the door in a panic. “Nathalie? What’s wrong?”

“G— Gabri—” Nathalie huffed, reaching for him. “I… I think it…”

The hospital bag Nathalie and Gabriel had packed the week before was scooped up and slung over his shoulder, Gabriel going to help her out of bed.

“I’ll call Adrien on the way over; do you need me to carry you?”

Nathalie nodded, face contorted in pain. Gabriel eased her into his arms, careful to not move her back too much. 

Adrien, who had stirred with the commotion, poked his head out the door. “Papa? Nathalie?”

“I’m taking Nat in; can you find a way over to the hospital, Adrien?”

“OH!” Adrien nodded, running back in his room. He tugged shoes on, running after them. “I’ll come now; here, let me grab our bags.”

Gabriel brought Nathalie to the car, taking the bags from Adrien and putting them in the back next to Nathalie’s. 

Nathalie’s breath started to quicken, her hands shaking. Gabriel shifted the car in reverse, pulling out of the driveway and starting down the street. He then took her hand, gently squeezing. 

“Nathalie… shh, it’s okay…”

Nathalie started to bawl. “I-I’m hav-having my ba-baby without h-him!”

“Without…” Gabriel bit the inside of his cheek. “Ah… Hawkmoth…” He squeezed her hand a bit tighter, bringing it to his lips and giving it a gentle kiss. “It’ll be okay, Natters, I’m sure he’ll understand…”

Nathalie cried harder, hiccuping with each breath. Gabriel clenched his teeth, trying to hold in his own tears.

Adrien reached over to pat her shoulder, trying to soothe her. “Nathalie…” He shot a look at Gabriel, one of confusion but also anger. _Seriously?_ _You should’ve told her._

Gabriel turned away from his son, shame wafting over his mind and heart.

They arrived at the hospital, Gabriel going in to get things settled and get a gurney for Nathalie.

As the gurney traveled down the hallway, Nathalie’s sobs grew weaker as her voice gave out. The nurses brought her into the labor and delivery room, stopping Gabriel and Adrien at the door. “Only the father of the child is allowed in.”

Gabriel frowned. “I’m… I’m the father.”

Nathalie looked up from her reclined position. “What? No, you’re not…”

“Nat…” A tear escaped from Gabriel’s eye, the man quickly erasing it with his hand. “Nathalie, I  _ am  _ the father… I’m sorry…”

Nathalie fell silent. After a pause that felt like hours, she finally murmured to the nurses, “I’d like to be alone for the birth.”

The door was promptly shut.

* * *

Adrien had his arms crossed tightly as he leaned back in the waiting room seat, turned completely away from his father, who was leaned over, head in his hands.

“First time?”

Gabriel looked up at the stranger sitting a few seats away, an open maternity magazine in her lap. She didn’t look pregnant, however, leaving Gabriel a tad confused. “What?”

“First time becoming a parent? You look distressed.”

“Ah…” Gabriel shook his head. “No, no… it’s… a unique situation…”

The woman nodded. “I can understand that.” She chuckled. “I never thought that I’d be the one waiting outside for my baby… my wife insisted on waiting outside.”

“Your… wife?” Gabriel facepalmed. “Forgive me, I assumed—”

“It’s alright, don’t worry about it.” She smiled. “The name’s Corinne. My wife’s name is Ryza… You might see them around if they’re feeling better.”

“I’ll look for them…” Gabriel shifted in his seat, sitting up more. “Is this your first…?”

Corinne shook her head. “We had a little boy, though we were the ‘host’, I suppose. Ryza’s a surrogate part-time. This one, however, we get to keep.” She smiled. “We had a little girl this time… Nyssa. She looks just like her mama… her other mama,” she corrected. “Not me, sadly… except for maybe the hair.”

Gabriel nodded. “Nathalie — the mother — is having a little boy.”

“Aw. You must be so excited.”

“I…” Gabriel swallowed. “I am… and I’m not…”

“Nerves?”

“I—”

Before he could finish, the nurse came into the room. “Adrien? Your mother said you could come to see the baby if you’d like.”

Adrien perked up, following the nurse into the new room where Nathalie would be resting. Gabriel watched him go, deflating.

Corinne frowned. “That was fast… You just got here.”

“Nathalie has a high pain tolerance… I’m sure she was a lot farther than we thought…”

“I guess so. Though, I am confused, why wouldn’t she want you to see your son?”

Gabriel shook his head. “I’d rather not go into it with a complete stranger… no offense…”

Corinne chuckled. “Fair point, sir, fair point. Well,” she sat up, offering her hand. “Perhaps you’d like to meet mine?”

“...Come again?”

“Babies seem to cheer people up. You look like you could use it. Come along.”

Gabriel, unsure, decided to go with it, following his new friend (?) to her wife’s room.

“Ryza, honey? I brought a friend along to see our little girl…”

Ryza was propped up in bed, reading a book. The baby was lying in the little glass bassinet next to her; she was asleep until she heard her other mama enter the room.

“Hello, little Nyssa,” Corinne cooed, booping her little nose. She beckoned to Gabriel to join her at the bassinet, smiling. 

Gabriel couldn’t help but smile. Nyssa was a rather cute baby. She had dark hair like Corinne, but her nose was more Roman-shaped like Ryza. “She’s wonderful.”

Corinne nodded. “She is, isn’t she?” Her expression grew dark. “Gabriel, what exactly is your wife mad at you for?”

“I…” Gabriel sighed. “Well, it’s hard to explain, but… I essentially… lied to her about who I was… and…” Gabriel started to tear up. “I lied to her about who I was since before she was pregnant, and now that she knows who I am…” He bit his lip, unable to continue without unraveling.

Ryza whistled. “You fucked up.”

“Damn straight.” Corinne pointed to a chair across the room. “Sit.”

Gabriel sat.

“I don’t know who you are, but I have a feeling that you love this woman.”

“I do.”

“Mm-hmm.” Corinne started to pace around him, a frown on her face. “Does she love you?”

“I…” Gabriel shook his head. “Not anymore…”

“False.” Corinne shot him a glare. “She loves you a whole heck of a lot, I’m sure, and you hurt her. You walked on water in her eyes, and now you’re swimming in mud. Am I right?”

Gabriel nodded silently.

“Do you love her baby?”

“Yes.”

“Mm. Good.”

Corinne sat back down next to their wife. “I’d go to her now.”

“But—”

Corinne’s eyes twinkled with a familiar gleam. “She’s ready to see you, though I’d prepare to get slapped.”

Gabriel gulped, nodding and standing up. Ryza gestured to the baby, smiling. Gabriel gently took the baby’s hand, shaking it as if it were a business partner. “Welcome to the world, little Nyssa,” he murmured, nodding to the mothers before exiting.

“Mr. Agreste. Nathalie will see you now.”

Gabriel followed the nurse into the room. The baby wasn’t there, and neither was Adrien. Nathalie sat up in bed, looking out the window.

Gabriel sat in a chair, about ten feet from her, hands folded.

“Papillon.”

The name that would normally entice Gabriel now sent an unpleasant chill down his spine. 

“Come here.”

Gabriel obeyed, crouching next to her. She turned away from the window, towards him, a dead look in her eyes.

“Nat—”  


* * *

**TRIGGER WARNING!!!**

* * *

_ CRACK! _

She slapped him, clear across the face, sending his glasses skittering across the floor. Gabriel stumbled back, both from shock and the force of her hand. He shuddered, bringing his hand to his face, before blindly crawling to find his glasses.

“You lied to me. For the better part of a year.”

Gabriel’s hands, slick with sweat, slid across the tile, sending him down again. His jaw crunched against the ground, the man nearly whimpering with pain.

Nathalie’s face furrowed with concern before relaxing. “What are you trying to do, Gabriel?”

Gabriel remained on the floor, tears falling over his scrunched face. His heart twisted in his chest as he thought about the past year.

“Gabriel…”

_ How could I have lied to her? For a year? _

Nathalie was worried now, voice raising a decibel each time she said his name, until she finally yelled, “Gabriel!”

The man tried to get up again, shaking terribly. If he was nearly blind before, he was definitely blind now. He could taste the coppery taste of blood in his mouth; he must have bitten his tongue when his jaw cracked against the floor. Chest heaving, he propped himself up against a cabinet, breath catching every few moments.

Nathalie watched him struggle to his feet, confused as to why the feared villain of Paris was somehow disabled by a simple strike. She reached for him but pulled away when he made no move to come closer to her.

“Gabriel… please, come here…”

A soft voice, as soft as the flutter of wings, came from the tall man standing in front of her: “Are you going to hit me again?”

“I…” Nathalie’s face softened. “Gabriel, did something happen?”

Gabriel started to hiccup, his sobs causing his body to tremble once again. The memories were starting to flood his mind, sending him back to the floor again.

* * *

_ “IDIOT!” _

_ Her hand cracked across his face again. “Seriously, Gabriel? God, you’re so  _ embarrassing! _ ” _

_ Gabriel cowered against his and Emilie’s bed, softly pleading for her to stop. Emilie ignored his pleas, dragging him to his feet.  _

_ “I should’ve married a  _ man _ , not an absolute  _ pussy! _ You’re supposed to be tough! Strong! You’re the weakest man I’ve ever met. I never should have married you.” _

_ Gabriel cried, blubbering, “Please, Emi, I l-love you!” _

_ A voice from the hall interrupted them, “Mr. Agreste? Mrs. Agreste? Are you alright?” _

_ Nathalie opened the door, reeling backwards when she saw the bruises on Gabriel’s face and his shirt scrunched in Emilie’s hands. _

_ Emilie snarled. “If you want to keep your job, or ever have a chance at another job in the  _ country _ , you will walk away and pretend you saw nothing. Got it?” _

_ Nathalie bit her lip, nodding quickly. After she left, she took out her phone, pulling up her travel app. _

_ “Tibet. They must be there…” _

* * *

**Trigger Warning over.**

* * *

Nathalie was crying now, realizing what she had dug up. “Gabriel…” She pressed the ‘call nurse’ button, murmuring, “I’m so sorry, my love…”

The nurse came in with the baby, eyes widening when they saw Gabriel. “Oh my…”

“Please, can you get him some—”

“Ice and tissues, of course.” The nurse helped Gabriel to the chair next to Nathalie, rushing off to grab the ice for Gabriel.

Nathalie took Gabriel’s hand, squeezing it, and gently kissed his palm. “Oh, Gabriel…”

Gabriel blinked, leaning into Nathalie’s hand as she cradled his jaw. “Nat—”

“Shh. Please, Gabriel…” Nathalie gave him a reassuring smile. “Relax.”

A small whimper came out of his throat as he gazed at her, though all he really could see was a blur of a face. “Nathalie… I’m so sorry… I should have told you the very first day… I thought… I thought that you’d hate me if I told you the truth… I mean, I’m your  _ boss _ …”

“Gabriel…” Nathalie softly chuckled. “Gabriel, I’ve been in love with you, the  _ real _ you, forever. I’m honestly very glad it’s you, I just… I’m hurt that you’d choose today of all days to let me know. Hell, I could have been kissing you this whole time.” Her face fell. “Gabriel… I’m so sorry…”

“I’m the one who should be apologizing to you, Nat—”

The nurse walked in, smiling nervously. “I have an ice-pack for you, Mr. Agreste…” She tucked it under his chin, nodding. “I’ll leave you two and baby be, and I’ll send Adrien back in.”

Gabriel followed her with his eyes, now taking in the surroundings. From what he could tell without his glasses, it was a fairly sizeable room. There was another bed, as well as an en suite bathroom and a television set, which was currently turned off.

Once the nurse left, Nathalie brought her other hand to Gabriel’s face. “May I kiss you?”

“You… what?”

“May I kiss you? Please?” Nathalie whispered.

Gabriel nodded, a small smile forming on his face as her soft lips met his. They were salty from her tears, he noticed, though he didn’t mind as much. He winced, his jaw still very much sore from the floor incident.

“Nat—”

“Gabriel. I’m sorry.”

“Natha—”

“Can you forgive me?”

Gabriel looked away. “I… yes. I forgive you… can… can you…”

Nathalie quickly kissed him again, leaning her forehead against his. “Oh, Gabriel… I already have.”

Gabriel smiled, leaning back to look at his love — as much as he could. The damn glasses were still on the floor somewhere, and neither of them was able to move much.

A small whine directed their attention to the bassinet, the small human inside squirming. Nathalie smiled. “Looks like our littlest son is awake.”

Thankfully, Adrien returned to the room, smiling when he saw the two of them leaning close to each other. “I take it, everything's good now?”

“Yes, Adrien, thank you,” Nathalie nodded to the baby, Adrien wheeling the bassinet towards her. He then retrieved Gabriel’s glasses, the older man thanking him softly.

Baby Agreste was carefully lifted by his mother, Nathalie cooing softly at him. “Hello, little one…”

Gabriel put his glasses on, smiling down at the tiny baby. “He’s beautiful, Natters. What is his name?”

“I… Gabriel, we haven’t decided yet.” Nathalie kissed her baby’s forehead, looking at her love. “I figured you’d have a hand in deciding, you know.”

“R-really?” Gabriel’s smile widened. “I’d love that.” He took a tiny hand between two fingers, easing his finger in his baby son’s grip. “Mm… Well, I’m not sure about a first name, but what about Remigius?”

“Norbert? Norbert Remigius Agreste?”

Adrien grinned. “Sounds good to me.” He brushed his hand over the top of Norbert’s head, ruffling the few soft ginger-colored hairs there.

“Norbert.” Nathalie nodded. “Baby Norbert. Oh, I love it…” She held him up a bit, offering him to Gabriel. “Would you like to hold our son, my love?”

Gabriel started to sob again, though this time for a much happier reason. “I’d love to.”

Norbert made small noises as he was passed into his father’s arms. He yawned, eyes fluttering closed as he began to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I like rollercoasters. >:D
> 
> Also, mod extraordinaire and corn god/goddess Corn makes an appearance in this chapter! We stan a king/queen.


	8. I Work Now, so Updates are Slow... sorry...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Did you read the title? No? Well, I am back at work! So updates will be slower... sorry friends...
> 
> But hey! New update now, right? A little shorty for ya... The next two will be like this. Then we get to the good part >;3

“No, no, Mrs. Bourgeois, I—”

The phone was snatched from Nathalie’s hands, Gabriel holding it to his ear. “How did you get this number? This is my  _ wife’s phone.  _ Who is this?”

The other line screeched. “Gabriel, this is—!”

“Unacceptable, yes, I’m aware. You will lose this number or I will call the police. Good day.”

Nathalie leaned back in her chair, smirking. “Funny, I don’t remember you  _ proposing _ , let alone marrying me…”

Gabriel returned her smirk with a smile, leaning over her desk to kiss her cheek. “Mm, well, we’ve been a bit… busy…” He nodded to the sleeping Norbert in his bassinet, who could be heard softly snoring.

“Ah, yes…” Nathalie smiled down at their baby. “Of course.”

Norbert was a beautiful baby, without his parents’ fawning. He had his mother’s bright blue eyes, and bright ginger hair that Nathalie claimed was in her family, but rather uncommon. She commented that he’d eventually develop freckles; everyone in their family had them, including her. Nathalie’s freckles had faded because she spent most of her days indoors working for Gabriel, but she agreed to spend more time outdoors with Adrien, and Norbert in moderation. Sunshine was good for her, especially with her post-partum depression. 

“Nathalie?”

She quickly wiped her tears away, looking up at her lover. “Yes?”

Gabriel wrapped her in his arms, laying his chin on her head. “Oh, my love…” He scooped her up, carrying her to the kitchen. “I’m going to make you something.”

Nathalie, somewhat spooked, struggled against him. “Honey—”

She was set down on the counter, Gabriel turning his back and rummaging through the fridge. “Eggs, milk, chocolate—” He frowned. “Wait, where is…?”

Nathalie sobbed. “I ate the rest of the chocolate chips, I’m s-sorry!”

“Aw, come now, love…” Gabriel chuckled, grabbing her and kissing her hair. “Don’t fret, my darling… I can make do.” He smiled, kissing her nose. “I’m glad you’re eating, my love.”

“Me too… but… but chocolate?”

“Norbert probably likes that,” Gabriel laughed as she flicked his nose, giggling. “Though, my love, perhaps you should avoid it from now on…”

Nathalie curled into him, nodding. “I know…”

Whines from the other room caught Nathalie’s attention. “Ah… That’s my cue, I suppose…” She kissed her love, hopping off the counter. “I’m coming, sweet boy.”

Norbert’s cries lessened as he gained a view of his mama, his little hands reaching up for her. Picking him up, Nathalie pulled her green sweater up, unhooking her nursing bra and allowing him to latch on. Small suckling noises meant he had successfully done so, Nathalie sighing and settled back in the comfy chair Gabriel had gotten her. She picked up her tablet, balancing it on her knee to scroll down the schedule for the day. She leaned over to activate the intercom to talk to Gabriel in the other room.

“Sir, you have an appointment in ten minutes, surely lunch can—”

“Absolutely not. They can wait. My baby-mama requires sustenance.”

Nathalie wrinkled her nose at ‘baby-mama’. “Please don’t call me that ever again.”

Gabriel chuckled. “Sorry, honey…” He started to hum to himself as he made shortbread for the three of them. It had been a while since Gabriel had cooked, though having Norbert around had activated something deep within him… instinct, perhaps? Whatever it was, it usually meant some kind of treat for Adrien, himself, and Nathalie to enjoy. Eventually, Norbert would join them, he guessed it was likely he had inherited both his parents’ sweet tooth.

The phone by Nathalie’s computer began to ring incessantly, Nathalie groaning. Norbert lost his hold on her breast as his mother lurched out of her chair, bringing the phone to her ear. He softly fussed as Nathalie answered, “Agreste Residence, Madame Sancoeur speaking.”

Some client she didn’t recognize was on the other line, wanting an audience with Gabriel for a new miniature line to go with their new movie coming out in a few months. Nathalie hastily replied that he’d be there to answer their questions in a few minutes, putting them on hold while struggling to hold Norbert up to feed. She pressed her elbow on the intercom button. “Gabriel—”

In an instant Gabriel had the phone in hand, gently shooing her back into her chair. He jotted down some notes as the other line talked, nodding or shaking his head while giving short replies. He finally decided not to join them, as he would have another line in the works by then and gave his formal apology. He promised to potentially work with them in the future, however and wished them the best with their release. It then dawned on him that perhaps there would be another opportunity for them to take.

“Have you considered having a potential fan design for you? I have a connection to a young girl, who happens to be a growing designer as well… Marinette DuPain-Cheng, yes, she’s a friend of Adrien’s… Mm-hmm, Jagged Stone is familiar with— Ah! He’s featuring in your soundtrack? Well! You should have no problem reaching out to her. I’d be happy to— Yes, yes, of course. I’ll be able to supply her with the things she would need. Mm-hmm… mm-hmm… Ah… Oh, yes, yes… That would be lovely. Oh! I think she would like that, very much.” A long pause. “Ah, I will not be able to make it, but Adrien would surely be there in my absence, yes… he’ll be with Marinette, I’m sure, they’re pretty close… yes… Alright, very good. Thank you. Bye.” He hung up, triumphant. “Ha. Now,” he turned to Nathalie, who was re-hooking her bra as Norbert had finished his lunch. “To the kitchen with you, my love, it is your turn to eat.” He took Norbert in his arms, kissing his face and holding him over his shoulder to gently burp him.

Nathalie poked around in the fridge for a while, settling on sliced turkey to make a sandwich. Gabriel eventually walked in to be by her, a content Norbert nestled in his arms. His hands were curled into tiny fists, wrapped around his face.

“Nathalie, look… he’s doing the Vogue…” Gabriel snickered, gently pressing his son’s nose with his finger.

Nathalie kissed the top of her baby’s head, smiling. “That he is…” She kissed Gabriel’s cheek, leaning on his shoulder. “I take back what I thought before… you’re a pretty good father…”

Gabriel huffed. “It’s not hard when they’re tiny… it’s when they develop opinions and grow to despise you that I can’t figure them out…” His brow furrowed. “Nathalie, what if I mess up? What if Norbert ends up hating me? Like Adrien does?”

“First of all, Adrien does  _ not _ hate you. He loves you so incredibly much. Second, love, I don’t think you have anything to worry about. Look at Adrien! He’s an incredibly kind, sweet, smart, handsome young man. If Norbert ends up being half the man his brother is I’ll be happy.”

Gabriel kissed her forehead, leaning on her head. “I’ll do my best, love…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it's fluffy... for now...


	9. This is the part where you run away.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warning: Child Endangerment (by the author), Near-Death Experience Involving a Child, Fluffy Hurt

“Ma-ma?”

The hall was quiet. Norbert had escaped his playpen, now crawling out to find one or both of his parents.

Soft murmurs echoed from downstairs, Norbert bracing himself on a wall to stand up. He slowly toddled to the stairs, babbling. “Pa-pa?”

Adrien wasn’t home, otherwise he would’ve grabbed the toddler right away. Norbert knelt on the ground, inching backward to crawl down the stairs. He gurgled as he did so, making happy noises as he plodded down. “Ai?” he called out, possibly for his brother, as he could not yet pronounce Adrien’s full name. “Ma-ma? Pa-pa?”

Gabriel and Nathalie were in the office, discussing colors and fabrics for an upcoming project. They finally heard their son’s calls, Nathalie opening the door and audibly gasping when she saw her baby tumble off the last stair.

“Oh, baby!” She scooped him up, crooning over him, gently stroking his head. Norbert was whining a bit but was otherwise fine. He looked up at his mama, beginning to smile after the shock of falling had dissipated.

Gabriel walked up to them, kissing his baby’s cheek. “Look at you, little escapee… don’t tell me you’ve had enough of your papa already…”

Norbert reached for his papa, squealing. Nathalie relinquished her child to his father, kissing his head as she did. “Figures. He always did like you a lot, even when I was pregnant.”

Gabriel kissed his baby’s face repeatedly until Norbert began to fuss, chuckling as he settled him in his arms. “Mm. Perhaps he’ll change his mind… or maybe…?” He looked at his love, eyebrows raised hopefully.

“Or maybe what? We would have another? Forget it…” Nathalie folded her arms, looking away. “The chances of that happening are slim… I’ve accepted that he’ll be my only one…” She smiled, laying her hands over Gabriel’s that held Norbert’s bottom. “I am very happy to have you both, and Adrien too.”

Gabriel leaned over to kiss her, Norbert squealing gleefully. He patted his father’s chest as Gabriel pulled away, clearly excited about something. “Are you glad that your papa loves mama, little one?”

Norbert clapped his hands. Gabriel ate this up, continuing, “Well, you’re in luck, I’m considering asking for her hand in marriage… how does that sound, ma petit?”

Nathalie flushed. “You are?”

“Of course, my love… is that alright?” Gabriel felt his hand tremble but steadied it, shifting Norbert higher on his person.

Tears started to well in Nathalie’s eyes as she nodded eagerly. “Oh, yes… my answer will always be yes. Gabriel…” She started to bawl, rushing to squeeze him tightly. Gabriel took her in one arm, kissing her face and pressing their foreheads together.

“I’m… I’m glad,” Gabriel stumbled over his words, trying not to cry himself. He backed away, taking Nathalie’s hand and kissing it. “We should make preparations then… I’ll find… no, I’ll design a ring, something… erm…” 

Nathalie smiled. “Something simple will be fine, Gabriel… it’s not the ring that makes the marriage, you know… it’s the intent behind it.”

Gabriel pecked her cheek before passing Norbert to her. 

“Gabriel… this means that there’s no going back. Emilie will be gone, forever… We’ll be together.”

“Yes…? Nathalie, of course. Why? Is something wrong?”

“Well… we won’t need the miraculous anymore… there’s no Hawkmoth and Mayura if there’s no trying to gain the Ladybug and Chat Noir miraculous…” Nathalie rubbed her arm nervously. “I think I’ll miss being Hawkmoth and Mayura, sir…”

Gabriel smiled. “It is quite a thrill, isn’t it…” He grabbed her hand. “Perhaps you’d like to go out, one last time? And,” he curled his finger under Norbert’s chin, “we can give our little one the best view of Paris.”

“But how—”

Gabriel ran into the office, returning with a pile of brown cloth. “Have you heard of the peacock moth?”

Nathalie chuckled. “You made our baby a moth suit?” She set Norbert on the ground, taking the brown suit from him. “Very cute, Gabriel… what says you, Norbs? Do you want to join Mama and Papa on an adventure?”

“Ma-ma…” Norbert grabbed Nathalie’s leg, patting it with his little hands. “Ma-ma!”

“I’ll take that as a yes,” Gabriel scooped his son up, taking him up to his room. “Join me in ten?” he threw over his shoulder to Nathalie.

“Ten, sir— Gabriel,” Nathalie corrected.

Gabriel continued to Norbert’s room, laying him down on the changing table and taking off all but Norbert’s diaper, pulling the brown onesie on. The hood was pulled over Nobert’s ginger hair. 

“Look at you, little mothball!” Gabriel laughed softly, gently stroking the brooch pinned to his shirt. “Now, let’s hope you still recognize me, little one…” He whispered his transformation, Nooroo flying into the miraculous.

“Pa-pa!” Norbert still recognized Gabriel even with most of his face hidden. He was looking again at the old Hawkmoth, whose hair was covered by his silver cowl.

“Now, let’s go meet Mama Mayura downstairs.”

* * *

Mayura was just as regal as ever, Hawkmoth blushing as he approached her, Baby Moth in hand. “Ready?”

“Yes, Papillon.” Mayura took his arm, both sneaking out the door.

The Parisian sky was a beautiful shade of blue, rival only to the soft hue Mayura now wore on her skin. Baby Moth cooed as they walked on a rooftop, sucking on a purple pacifier that read “evil prince”. 

Ladybug and Chat Noir were on patrol and noticed the couple from a few houses away.

“I don’t believe it! Chat, they have a  _ baby _ !”

Chat Noir nodded. “They’re definitely a couple, now, for sure…”

“They must be up to something…”

“Or out on a walk with their son or daughter. Let’s leave them be, m’lady…”

Ladybug’s eyes narrowed. “A baby is a mere excuse… besides, how can we know that it’s theirs? It could be a kidnapped child! We have to stop them!”

“M’lady, wait—!”

Ladybug sent a flying kick at Mayura’s head, the older woman grabbing her ankle and throwing her away from Hawkmoth and Baby Moth. 

“Ladybug! Wha—”

Hawkmoth handed the baby to Mayura, unsheathing his rapier. “I will protect you, loves…”

“Hawkmoth! Been a while since you’ve shown your face. Are you ready to surrender?”

“Never,” Hawkmoth snarled. He stood back, sword raised defensively.

Ladybug began to swing her yo-yo, intent on grabbing his sword out of his hands. She threw it, grasping the sword right away and brandishing it towards him.

Hawkmoth stood his ground, shielding Mayura. Baby Moth squealed, reaching for him.

Ladybug stepped forward, Hawkmoth stepping back. “Ladybug, please, we mean no harm. We’re simply—”

Yo-yo collided with face, Hawkmoth falling backward. He inadvertently knocked Mayura and baby backward too, very close to the edge of the building… too close.

The shrill cries of Norbert could be heard as he tumbled onto a fire escape one floor below them, silenced with a loud metallic  _ BANG! _

Mayura screamed, reaching her hand for her baby, who now lay motionless. Hawkmoth held her close before she fell off, too, murmuring in an attempt of comfort. He helped her to her feet, both of them carefully descending the stairs to their son.

Chat Noir was agape with horror, tears falling down his mask. “Norbert…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ouch. And yes, this is still short. I have less time as of late, and I want to continue the story so they'll be short until I have more time.


	10. New kind of juice? Sippin'.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things are looking up here, in Duloc! Ha.
> 
> In which we find out that the author is not a baby killer.

Hawkmoth knelt down on the coarse metal of the fire escape floor, cradling his son’s head in his hand. He picked him up slowly, carefully, a small glimmer of hope shining in his eye as he saw the slight rise and fall of Norbert’s breath.

Mayura bit back a sob, moving to hold both of them close. She kissed Norbert’s head, letting her tears fall, a few hitting his cheek.

“We have to go. Adr— Chat will take care of Ladybug.”

They quickly hurried down the fire escape, jumping the last few stories and dropping their transformation once they safely landed. Norbert’s fingers twitched as Nathalie shed her sweater to somewhat swaddle him in. The bitter March wind bit at her now bare shoulders as she shivered in her camisole.   
Gabriel kissed her hair, removing his suit jacket and wrapping it around her. “Let’s go, love…”

They made their way to the hospital, which was thankfully only a few blocks away. The attendant in the emergency room gave them a weird look but grew concerned as her eyes fell to the bundle in Nathalie’s arms.   
Norbert was rushed on a gurney much too big for him. The doctor on-site took a few minutes to examine him and determined that he needed emergency surgery, as he had fractured a rib and potentially had internal bleeding. Neither Gabriel nor Nathalie were able to follow him into the pre-op room.

Two shaking hands found each other as Nathalie crawled into Gabriel’s lap as they sat on a couch in the waiting room. Nathalie’s nails dug into the back of Gabriel’s hand;  Gabriel winced but took the pain willingly. He put his other hand on the other side of hers, rubbing gently to warm up her freezing digits.   
“It’s you again.”

Corinne, Ryza, and Lou surprisingly were in the waiting room with them, baby Nyssa in Lou’s lap. “How’ve you been, Gabriel? Is this your baby-mama? I’m Ryza, it’s a—”

Nathalie’s eyes drifted to the little baby girl, whose thick, tightly-screwed curls were bouncing with her movements. If she heard Ryza talking, she didn’t acknowledge it.

“Ryza, Corinne… Lou… we… um…”

“Baby…” Nathalie murmured, her damp lashes fluttering as she gazed at Nyssa, who was now softly cooing at Lou, who had been shaking a toy for her but now sat still.   
Gabriel kissed Nathalie’s temple. “Yes, love… these are the people I met the day our son was born, remember?”

“Baby…”

Corinne frowned. “Did something happen?”

“Our son Norbert, he… he had a nasty fall… somehow he got outside and—” Gabriel winced. “I should’ve—”

Ryza came and knelt beside them, patting Gabriel’s arm. “Babies are like that, dude. I caught this one trying to put my hairpins in the electrical socket. And I almost never use them! Norbert caught the shit end of the stick, that’s all… if it was purely accidental, you know?”

Nyssa let out a squeal, reaching for Nathalie. With a nod from Corinne, Lou picked Nyssa off her lap and set her in Nathalie’s. 

Rich brown eyes the color of Nathalie’s dark roast grounds met with the depths of a well-chlorinated pool. Nathalie smoothed the soft skin of Nyssa’s cheek with her thumb, smiling as Nyssa’s own smile widened at the touch. Small hands gripped Nathalie’s wrist, squealing.

Gabriel smiled, feeling Nathalie relax with every breath she took. He looked at Corinne and Ryza, nodding to them with relaxed eyes. 

Nathalie held the little girl close, softly kissing the top of her head and rubbing her back. The four others watched as they both fell asleep, Gabriel easing her off of him and allowing her to lie on the couch. Once they determined Nathalie was fully asleep, Ryza eased Nyssa out of her embrace, smiling at her baby and settling her in her car seat they had near them.

“We were just about to go home… I hope everything goes well with your son, Gabriel,” Corinne softly murmured, trying not to wake Nathalie. “Hopefully we’ll see the three of you around.”

Gabriel nodded, softly thanking them and settling next to Nathalie to try and get sleep as they waited for Norbert to get out of surgery. 

It was several hours before Nathalie stirred, reaching for Gabriel and cuddling close to him. She leaned up, intending to walk to Norbert’s room but realized where they were. She sat back down, trembling only slightly, but enough to eventually cause Gabriel to stir and pull her close.

Adrien sat on a couch a few meters away, sound asleep but face scrunched in pain.

The nurse approached them after a minute, smiling. “Norbert is awake if you’d like to see him now.”

Nathalie nudged Adrien awake, then Gabriel, the three of them following the nurse to the room where little Norbert was lying in a bed much too big for him. He had an IV in his right arm and a respirator on his little face.

Gabriel pulled a chair to the side of the bed, cradling Norbert’s face gently, trying to avoid the tubes. Nathalie sidled up next to him, taking Norbert’s hand.

Norbert began to fuss, whining and waving his free arm around. The nurse gently patted Nathalie’s shoulder. “He’s likely ready to eat now, madame.” She pulled the respirator off his face, frowning as Norbert squirmed and fussed a bit more. “I’ll return in a little bit to check on you and fill out some paperwork.” Once she left, Gabriel held his breath, eyes focused on Norbert.

“Ah…” Nathalie carefully leaned over and picked Norbert up, holding him to her. Gabriel helped her pull up her shirt and unhook her bra so Norbert could feed. After a moment of whining, Norbert finally latched on, relaxing in Nathalie and Gabriel’s grasp. 

Gabriel let out a shaky sigh of relief, kissing the top of his baby’s head. “Good job, little one…”

Nathalie leaned on her lover, allowing him to rest his head on her shoulder just above Norbert’s head. “He’s a tough little boy, I’ll give him that…”

Adrien smiled. “I’m glad he’s okay.”

“ _ Oui _ …” Gabriel clenched his eyes shut, turning into Nathalie’s neck. “We have to get rid of those damn things, Natters…”

Nathalie nodded. “I think that’s a given, my love…”

Adrien frowned. “What are you going to do with them, then? It’s not like you can just walk up to Ladybug and say “ah, here, we’re done with these, ok, thanks.”

“Perhaps not.”

Norbert stopped feeding, looking up at Nathalie with big blue eyes framed by long, ginger lashes. “Ma-ma!” he cooed, smiling.

Nathalie pulled her clothes back to their original position, bringing Norbert to eye level. “Hello, my little love.”

Adrien had an idea, one that may as well have caused a lightbulb to form above his head. “Oh! What if I took them?”

Nathalie frowned. “I wouldn’t ask you to risk your relationship with Ladybug, Adrien.”

“Ah… She’s already pretty upset… I tried to explain that Norb would die if we didn’t take him in, but she—” Adrien bit back a sob. “She said that he— he should so that you w-w-would… l-learn your less-ss-sson.”

Gabriel’s beginning of a smile reverted to a grimace. “I knew Ladybug didn’t like us, but…” He pulled Nathalie and Norbert in protectively, reaching his hand for Adrien to come closer, “I never thought she’d threaten my family like that…”

Adrien hugged them tightly, leaning on Nathalie’s other shoulder. “I finally told her that if she ever wanted my help, she had to apologize. To all four of us.”

Gabriel gave a weary nod. “I’m proud of you for standing up to her, my son.”

“Mm…” Adrien huffed, reaching a finger towards Norbert’s hands, the small baby squealing and grabbing it.

Nathalie sighed. “We’ll lay low for a while, a long while… focus on family.”

“Ah… should we hold off the wedding?”

“...Gabriel—”

Gabriel smiled. “I will happily grow old waiting if it means pledging my love for you for eternity, my love.”

Nathalie blushed, confused stuttering the only thing she could muster to say. She resigned to squeezing his hand as he took Norbert from her and kissed his little face.

“Mm… a little suit for my happy Norby… a nice ensemble for my eldest son, with matching elements… and a beautiful gown for my darling lady… unless you’d rather have something with pants?”

“I’ll send you s-some ideas, l-love.”

Adrien laughed. “I dare you to wear jeans and a flannel, papa.”

With a shocked screech, followed by Norbert’s eternity of giggles, Gabriel stood rather flamboyantly with mock despair, holding Norbert high. “Did you HEAR what he just said, Norb?! The HORROR, the MOCKERY…” He gave Norbert to Nathalie, laying a distressed hand to his forehead, sinking down the wall. “To even THINK of such a thing…” He let out a suppressed scream, flopping dramatically to the floor.

Nathalie snorted, holding her laughter in until it escaped in a fit of giggles. The delighted sound made Gabriel break character, his own laugh softly joining hers as he returned to his seat. “It’s been so long since I’ve heard  _ that _ laugh… haha…”

Adrien let out an endearing ‘awww’, smiling broadly. 

Nathalie tried to control her giggles, to no avail. She giggled even as the nurse came back with paperwork, who looked less than pleased. Her hand quickly signed them, the nurse leaving annoyed once she detached Norbert’s IV.

“Wha…” Another giggle. “Gabri— ah ha!” She couldn’t get out what she was trying to, collapsing back in her chair. “Ow… my sides h-hurt, haha…”

“Take a breather, my darling…” Gabriel kissed her forehead. “Looks like we can take Norbert home in a few hours, he just has to take a few more tests…”

Adrien shook Norbert’s hand like a business professional, save for the fact that he used three fingers to do it. “Congratulations, sir, you did it.”

Norbert smiled, cooing at his brother. 

Things were beginning to look up for the Agreste family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cue celebration noises. Also, Lou, their cats, and Corn made an appearance this chapter again!!! There will DEFINITELY be off-page playtime.


	11. read end notes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Read the end notes please.
> 
> This is the end of the main canon, due to lack of time and inspiration for this story.

”M’lady, can we talk?”

It was over a month until Chat Noir could see Ladybug for a distance, and another before she would finally approach him. Norbert was beginning to try to stand up and maybe walk, as well as eat solid foods and babble. So far, everything was fine with the little one. 

“What is it you wanted to talk about?”

“Everything. Why…” Chat fell silent. “Why you wished No— the baby to d—“

Ladybug sank to her knees, pulling herself into the fetal position. She started to softly cry into her folded arms, folding her feet together in front of her one over the other. 

Chat Noir sat next to her, pulling her into a hug. 

“I—I didn’t really m-mean t-to say that… I w-was angry at—at Mayura and H-Hawkmoth for showing—showing up…”

“But you instead took it out on the baby.”

Ladybug nodded, curling into Chat’s chest. “God, I hope he’s okay…”

Chat Noir smiled. “He’s just fine, m’lady…”

The heroine sniffed. “H-How do you know?”

“Ah… let’s just say I know the family personally.”

“O-Oh…”

Chat Noir nodded, thinking for a moment. “If I got a ‘yes’, would you like to meet them? As civilians?”

“B-But then we would—!” Ladybug took a shaky breath. “Are you sure?”

“As sure as ever, Ladybug.”

“Okay. Yes, I’ll go.”

Chat smiled. “I’ll arrange it, and send you a text, okay, bugaboo?”

* * *

It was like a cinematic snapshot, an opening scroll as the beginning credits scrolled across the screen. Wind scattered the few dried leaves remaining in the Agreste Mansion courtyard. The grass was still a somber shade of brown, the concrete stark shoal-grey. At the top of the stairs by the terrifying front door, stood Gabriel Agreste and Nathalie Sancoeur, their expressions unreadable. Hands tucked behind their respective backs, less than six inches between them, they were more intimidating as ever.

Marinette felt her knees knock as Adrien led her to them, the blond offering a reassuring smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.

“Hello, Marinette,” Gabriel greeted, his expression softening a bit as he noticed how scared the poor girl was. “Do come inside, it’s a bit cold out here.”

Nathalie kept her cool stare, the corners of her mouth creased in a slight frown. Marinette noticed that her hands tensed as they walked inside towards the atelier.

Norbert was playing inside his playpen, shaking a plush squirrel. Apple, the kitten that was now a young cat, laid nearby, her tail twitching.

“Ah...ah… ah-puh!” Norbert squealed, reaching for the kitty. He put his little hands against the mesh of the playpen as Apple stretched, arching her back and padding over to him. A gentle purr rumbled in her throat as she nuzzled Norbert’s hands through the mesh with her head.

Adrien smiled. “Hello, Nori…” He reached for his little brother, holding him high above his head as ‘Nori’ giggled, smiling broadly at him.

Marinette softly gasped, looking up at the little baby. Tears formed in her eyes as she gazed at the small ginger, flinching as he turned to look at her.   
Norbert recognized her. His blue eyes widened, looking at Nathalie and back at Marinette. Nathalie stiffened, ready to pounce if necessary. 

With a gentle hand on her shoulder, Gabriel softly kissed her temple, bringing her close. “Easy, love…”

“Ah.” Norbert reached for Marinette, smiling sweetly with all his gums. As Marinette took him in her arms, he leaned on her, softly cooing.

“O-Oh…” Marinette started to softly cry now, holding Norbert tightly. “I’m so sorry, little one… I’m so, so sorry…”

Nathalie began to relax as she watched Norbert look up at Marinette, and try to figure out why in the world she was crying. Adrien handed his little brother a handkerchief and melted as Norbert tried to dry Mari’s tears.

“I think he likes you, Marinette.”

Gabriel nodded along with his eldest son’s statement. “I think that a new friendship has been forged between you.” He cleared his throat. “I hope that we can start over, Marinette. Adrien has expressed that he is rather fond of you.”

Marinette looked up at him, still hugging Norbert to her small frame. “He— ah, yes… um…” She took a deep breath, looking up at Gabriel with newfound confidence. “Yes. I’d like that, Mr. Agreste.”

“Excellent. As a symbol of newfound graces, Marinette, I’d like you to just call me Gabriel.”

Nathalie lowered her arms, taking her boyfriend’s arm instead. “I’d like to be just Nathalie as well, if you don’t mind, Marinette…”

The small bluenette nodded, smiling.

Adrien was nearly a puddle of a man, sobbing on the floor. “Th-This went so, so much better than I thought it w-would!”

Nathalie, smiling, shook her head as she lifted her pseudo-son off the floor, kissing his forehead and playfully mussing his hair. Norbert squealed happily, Marinette adjusting her grip on him so that he could move freely — he had begun to squirm otherwise.

“Does… does this mean that we’re a family now? The five of us?” Adrien asked hopefully.

Gabriel shrugged lightheartedly. “I suppose so. Though I do think that there is something we need to take care of first…” He smirked, half-lidded eyes shifting to gaze down at his lover.

“Mm… I suppose, for legal reasons, perhaps. Though I won’t lie… I’m not sure the tax benefits are worth it, Mr. Agreste. There are quite a few hoops I’ll have to jump through with HR.” Nathalie returned his smirk with one of her own, turning to plant a soft kiss just outside of his lips. “We’d better get started.”

A small ‘merrow’ startled them out of their thoughts as Apple stretched her front legs to paw at Nathalie’s leg, Nathalie leaning down to scoop up her other baby. “Hello, little one,” Nathalie cooed, kissing the top of Apple’s forehead and squeezing a set of toe beans.

Marinette quickly glanced at the clock in the room, gasping when she saw the time. “Oh no… I only have an hour before I have to start heading home… I know we had agreed on dinner, but—”

“Ah, of course. Dinner’s waiting in the dining room, how selfish of me. We can eat now. I do hope you enjoy dumplings, Marinette.”

Marinette snorted a bit, raising an eyebrow. “Forgive me for being blunt, but if I didn’t like dumplings I think my mom’s family would disown me.”

Nathalie chuckled. “Perhaps.” She set her kitty down, Apple racing off to who-knows-where. She took her baby from Marinette, beginning the stroll to the dining room.

The newly-formed family had a good dinner, filled with laughter, baby squeals, two thieving cats, and three burned fingers — Nathalie had knocked over her soup bowl onto herself. Gabriel, however, swooped in and began giving light kisses — “Knock it off, Gabe!” — to the fingers, grinning as his love blushed furiously.

* * *

_ Mama, _

_ I never expected life to end up this way. After Emilie had fallen asleep, I thought that all I could do was to get her back, no matter the cost. I never realized that the cost might mean disrupting everything that I hold dear. _

_ Adrien is such a wonderful boy, even still. He and Marinette have pursued a, that they claim anyhow, a platonic relationship, though I can sense that the two of them are in love, though in denial. They live just fifteen minutes away from us now, in a lovely apartment that suits them both— complete with a music room and a closet filled to the brim with dozens of bolts of fabric. Sounds familiar, doesn’t it? _

_ I’ve been the best I will ever be in the years since I lost you. I’ve found a new love in Nathalie. I thought Emilie was the sun, and the world rotated around her. I know now that she is definitely not the sun, but Nathalie? She is my sun, my moon, my stars… I hope to do right by her every day for the rest of our lives. She had sacrificed nearly everything for my happiness… It is only right that I at least pledge the same. _

_ I have another son now, Norbert. He is a wonderful boy as well. I expected him to be quite tall, as both I and his mother are significantly tall, but he is much taller than I thought he would be at his age. At 15, he is almost equal to Nathalie’s height and still growing I’m sure. He is all limbs, very thin. I promise I’m feeding him, mama. He eats more than Nathalie and me combined… I don’t understand it. Perhaps it’s a teenager thing. Do you remember what I was like? I’m surprised we weren’t poorer than we originally were. _

_ Norbert has recently shared with me that he is homosexual. I’ve joked that my influence in his fashion choices contributed to this fact. Norbert, thankfully, thought my ignorance was in good humor — as I had intended — and continues to be a kind, gracious young man. He has asked that his boyfriend come over for dinner… I am not worried about his love. I’m worried about what he’ll think of  _ me. _ Hopefully, I can make a good impression. _

_ Nathalie also shared with me, nine years ago, that she was pregnant again. How that happened, I’ll never tell. We ended up with a beautiful baby girl, who we’ve named Celeste, after you, of course, mama. Little Cel is quite the adventurer, always outside running around and collecting samples to study later. She and Norbert get into trouble… I’m usually the one who is an accomplice, hiding the evidence “before Mama gets back from work” to avoid suspicion from my love. Clever girl. She always manages to get me to do things for her that she really ought to avoid. _

_ I miss you every day, mama. You have no idea how much I would’ve loved to introduce you to Nathalie. She’s fierce, protective, loving, just as you were. Perhaps more. She’s definitely thrown me to the ground more than once, haha. And my children… that seems so odd to say. My children. Wasn’t I just a child, mama? Sitting in your lap as we watched the birds flying overhead at Nana’s cottage in Poland? Drinking ice-cold lemonade as the cousins rolled down the grassy knoll? _

_ We’re not at Nana’s cottage today, but we are somewhere just as beautiful. Nathalie found a beautiful rental house that we’re staying in for a couple of weeks on the beach in Cannes. Little Cel loves the water just as I do; Norbert prefers to sit with his mother in the shade. Adrien and Marinette are joining us in a few days as well with their new puppy. Though I’m not sure how Ion, Cel’s new kitty she got after we had to put Apple down, is going to take it. The small thing is a Munchkin-hybrid; it looks like a Maine Coon but has short little legs. It’s adorable when he runs. _

* * *

“Gabriel?”

Nathalie, smiling, knelt on the straw beach mat, sidling up to her husband. “You’re not going to sit here by yourself all day, are you? Celeste wants to build sand-fortresses with you.”

“Mm. Not sandcastles?”

“You know little Cel isn’t the princess type. She’d rather be a little knight.”

Gabriel smirked. “Now who did she get that from?” He raised a hand to Nathalie’s jaw, gently smoothing her skin with his thumb. She had gained a few more wrinkles in the past fourteen years, though she didn’t look a day over forty. Gabriel was now fifty-six, and was equally as young-looking… though Adrien did tease him by calling him “Grandpapa” now and again.

“You’re enchanting, my love…”

Nathalie flushed. “Stop that, Gabe, really… I’ve gotten old…”

Gabriel hummed softly under his breath. “You’re fifty-two. And you look like you’re just barely forty. Nathalie. People are going to ask questions pretty soon…”

“Mm. I don’t think so. But thank you, love.” Nathalie giggled, leaning on his shoulder.

“I never thought I’d be here, with you…”

“Neither did I. I didn’t think I’d last this long. But Gabriel…”

The sun provided a lovely background, casting them both in shadow, as Nathalie locked eyes with Gabriel. “I’m very glad I did.”

Gabriel nodded, smiling. “I’m glad I get to spend the rest of my life with you, Madame Agreste.”

They leaned in for a tender kiss, their arms finding each other and holding each other in a loving embrace.

* * *

_ I don’t have to hide behind a mask anymore. _

_ Everybody knew my face but you. _

_ But you knew my heart first. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will be potentially creating off-shoots, both before Norbert is born and of Norbert and Celeste's life in a series of one-shots! I don't know when these will be out but eventually. Stay tuned. Give me a follow so you don't miss them. ^-^

**Author's Note:**

> This coffee shop, sadly, doesn't exist... I totally made the idea up lol. (I'd be open to name suggestions!)
> 
> It's supposed to reflect a LGBTQIA friendly place... I think a term is "plant lesbian"?
> 
> Anyway... yeah.
> 
> I've also changed my username! I used to be UnderMiraculousFiction if you are confused.


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